Love for Lydia MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 12, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

Love for Lydia MCQs

1. What month did the Aspen sisters return to Evensford?

A. End of March
B. Late January
C. End of February
D. Early December

C. End of February.
The two sisters returned to Evensford at the end of February during a sudden fall of snow.

2. What replaced the river floods that January?

A. Black dry mud
B. Wide lakes of ice
C. Steaming wet soil
D. Deep green pools

B. Wide lakes of ice.
The January floods across the valley had frozen into wide lakes of hard, rectangular ice.

3. Where was the Narrator standing when the Daimler skidded?

A. The Temperance Hotel
B. Succoth chapel
C. The County Examiner
D. Johnson’s yard

C. The County Examiner.
The Narrator was standing inside the windows of The County Examiner (The Examiner) when the car skidded.

4. What piece of food was Bretherton eating for lunch?

A. Mauled pork pie
B. Fatty lamb chops
C. Several cold sausages
D. Thick bread loaf

A. Mauled pork pie.
The remains of Bretherton’s lunch on the table included several pieces of bread and a mauled pork pie.
5. What was Bretherton’s favourite insulting nickname for the Narrator?

A. Stùpid Boy
B. Stùpid Journalist
C. Clutterhead
D. Idiot Reporter

C. Clutterhead.
Bretherton called the narrator “Clutterhead” after soaking his lips in tea and before discussing the bazaar.

6. Why did Bretherton yell at the Narrator about suicide?

A. The narrator was depressed
B. The reporter missed a story
C. Bretherton attempted it
D. Lydia threatened it

B. The reporter missed a story.
A girl had leapt from a factory window, and the Narrator had negligently failed to discover details beforehand.

7. What was the Narrator doing the afternoon he missed the suicide story?

A. Skating recklessly
B. Working late
C. Nursing a fever
D. Writing up reports

A. Skating recklessly.
The Narrator admitted that he had sprained his wrist while skating that same afternoon.

8. What textile covered the windows of the Narrator’s home?

A. Dark velvet
B. Sheer silk
C. Drawn lace curtains
D. Thick brown burlap

C. Drawn lace curtains.
The Narrator’s family lived intensely respectable, constantly behind drawn lace curtains in their house.

9. What musical instrument did Joe Pendleton play?

A. The accordion
B. The violin
C. The euphonium
D. The piano

C. The euphonium.
Joe Pendleton, the neighbour, played the euphonium in the Rifle Band in the bedroom next door.
10. Evensford had grown from 800 people in 1820 to how many in 1880?

A. Fifty thousand
B. Ten thousand
C. Five thousand
D. Just two thousand

B. Ten thousand.
Evensford grew swiftly from 800 people in 1820 to ten thousand people in 1880.

11. What specific aroma hung on all Evensford streets?

A. Burning leather
B. Factory grease
C. River sewage
D. Wet charcoal

A. Burning leather.
Odours of burning leather, stoked by waste, hung on all Evensford streets in puthering clouds.

12. What was the only other house in Evensford comparable in size to the Aspen house?

A. The Town Hall
B. The Sanatorium
C. The Temperance Hotel
D. The Opera House

B. The Sanatorium.
The Sanatorium stood high up, almost within sight of the Aspen house, the only comparable size.

13. How was Miss Juliana eating her soup when the Narrator met her?

A. With small sips
B. With deep, broad sucks
C. Quickly and nervously
D. Stirring silently

B. With deep, broad sucks.
Juliana was eating soup from a basin, taking it in with deep, broad sucks from a spoon.

14. What physical trait made Juliana’s smile both ugly and attractive?

A. Crooked teeth
B. Missing lip
C. Long, fang-like teeth
D. Wide jaw

C. Long, fang-like teeth.
Juliana’s teeth were long, fang-like, and ugly, yet they made her attractive when she smiled spontaneously.
15. How old was Lydia when the Narrator first met her?

A. Nineteen
B. Eighteen
C. Twenty-one
D. Fifteen

A. Nineteen.
The Narrator was 19; Lydia was almost 20, but Juliana initially stated she was “Just Lydia’s age”.

16. What specific flowers did the Narrator notice in the Aspens’ room?

A. Red roses
B. Pale mauve hyacinths
C. Yellow daffodils
D. White lilies

B. Pale mauve hyacinths.
The Narrator noticed deep Chinese bowls of pale mauve and pink hyacinths in full flower.

17. What did Miss Bertie find refreshing about the young Narrator?

A. His candid ambition
B. His singing ability
C. His liking for flowers
D. His respectful manners

C. His liking for flowers.
Miss Bertie found his liking for flowers to be a “refreshing manifestation in a young man”.

18. Who was Captain Rollo Aspen?

A. Juliana’s son
B. Lydia’s father
C. Juliana’s brother
D. Bertie’s husband

C. Juliana’s brother.
Juliana introduced him to the Narrator as “my brother, Captain Rollo Aspen”.

19. How was Lydia dressed when the Narrator first met her?

A. A tight red suit
B. A low-waisted dress
C. A pale blue skirt
D. A velvet gown

B. A low-waisted dress.
Lydia was draped in a long, low-waisted dress that was too old for her, making her appear clumsy.
20. What location served as the Evensford police court?

A. Evensford Town Hall
B. Nenborough
C. The Aspens’ lodge
D. Old Succoth chapel

B. Nenborough.
Evensford did not have its own petty sessions; the court was located in Nenborough up the valley.

21. Where did Lydia and the Narrator go skating?

A. On the old marsh
B. The river valley
C. A frozen lake
D. The park pond

A. On the old marsh.
The narrator taught Lydia to skate on the marshes where the floodwater was frozen.

22. What color was the polo sweater Lydia wore under her cloak?

A. Black and white
B. Scarlet
C. Dark green
D. Pale blue

B. Scarlet.
When Lydia took off her cloak that afternoon, she was wearing an old scarlet polo sweater underneath.

23. What was the name of the gentle farmer’s son introduced on the ice?

A. Alex Holland
B. Harry Holland
C. Tom Holland
D. Joe Pendleton

C. Tom Holland.
Tom Holland was a big, gentle boy, a farmer’s son, introduced to Lydia while skating.

24. Who helped Lydia regain balance after she lost it while skating alone?

A. The Narrator
B. Tom Holland
C. Old Hoylake
D. Alex Sanderson

B. Tom Holland.
Tom caught her and held her with his large hands until she regained her balance on the ice.
25. What did Lydia compare Evensford to before she escaped her own confinement?

A. A dark well
B. A shabby prison
C. A gloomy school
D. A velvet cage

B. A shabby prison.
To the Narrator, Evensford was an ugly, shabby prison, a contrast to Lydia’s previous one.

26. What occupation was Lydia’s governess, Miss Crouch?

A. Music teacher
B. Fragile yes-woman
C. Stern disciplinarian
D. Skilled horse trainer

B. Fragile yes-woman.
Her father replaced the horses with a governess, Miss Crouch, described as a fragile yes-woman.

27. What did Lydia’s father send her upstairs to do on a hot summer afternoon?

A. Read books
B. Learn history
C. Rest
D. Practice piano

C. Rest.
When Lydia was seventeen, she was sent upstairs “exactly like a child, to rest”.

28. What was the Narrator’s new job that allowed him to meet Lydia in the summer-house?

A. Clerk to a factor
B. Accountant at the factory
C. Editor at Examiner
D. Assistant gardener

A. Clerk to a factor.
His father got him a clerk job for leather factor Arthur Sprague, done every day by four.

29. Where did Lydia and the Narrator often meet in the Aspen park?

A. The stables
B. The conservatory
C. The summer-house
D. The lodge

C. The summer-house.
Lydia and the Narrator were able to meet in the small two-storeyed summer-house almost every hot afternoon.
30. What material was the back of the car interior trimmed with?

A. Silk cord
B. Velvet rugs
C. Silver inlay
D. Gilt monograms

B. Velvet rugs.
When travelling, Old Johnson used thick chequered and velvety coach rugs to tuck them in.

31. Who was Rollo Aspen keeping in Corporation Street?

A. Flo Welch
B. Miss Crouch
C. Nancy Holland
D. Lydia’s mother

A. Flo Welch.
Lydia informed the Narrator that Rollo kept a woman named Flo Welch in Corporation Street.

32. What kind of shares did Rollo invest his money in?

A. Gold
B. Rubber
C. Textiles
D. Land

B. Rubber.
Rollo had put all his money into some wretched rubber shares, which failed, leaving him poor.

33. What item did the Narrator sell to buy Lydia’s garnet earrings?

A. His typewriter
B. His watch
C. His bicycle
D. His coat

C. His bicycle.
The Narrator sold his bicycle to afford the pair of garnet earrings set like soft dark raspberries.

34. What animal was Rollo compared to when he laughed about the love notes?

A. A braying camel
B. A dark dog
C. A spoiled child
D. A sick pig

A. A braying camel.
Rollo laughed like a “braying camel” when he solemnly offered Lydia toast with secret love notes.
35. Why did Alex Sanderson’s car, a Humber, blow a gasket before the dance?

A. It was too cold
B. It was too old
C. It needed repair
D. Not specified

D. Not specified.
The source states that Alex Sanderson’s Humber car had blown a gasket that day.

36. What garment did Lydia wear at the Milton Posnett dance that seemed too small for her?

A. Black and scarlet dress
B. Pale mauve silk
C. White tulle skirt
D. Green velvet coat

A. Black and scarlet dress.
She wore a long silk dress of black and scarlet that seemed a fraction too small for her.

37. What was the name of the village dance spot Blackie suggested?

A. Nenborough Hall
B. Milton Posnett
C. Eaton Something
D. The Prince Albert

B. Milton Posnett.
Lydia and Alex went to dinner, and Blackie suggested the village dance at Milton Posnett.

38. What items were Miss Bertie and Miss Juliana buying in London?

A. New clothing
B. A house
C. A birthday present
D. Gardening tools

C. A birthday present.
Lydia excitedly told the Narrator that her aunts were going to London to look for her birthday present.

39. What flower did the Narrator suggest replacing the everlasting bowls of narcissus?

A. Marigold
B. Ixias
C. Bluebells
D. Lilac

B. Ixias.
The Narrator had spoken to Miss Bertie of the delicious many-coloured ixias to make a change.
40. What physical feature made Nancy seem like a “brushed and soft-eyed domestic animal”?

A. Her pink dress
B. Her blonde hair
C. Her quiet demeanor
D. Her clean white paint

B. Her blonde hair.
The Narrator felt she looked attractive, like a soft-eyed domestic animal waiting to be stroked.

41. What item did the Narrator find on the grass just before meeting Lydia’s mother?

A. A coin
B. A gold ring
C. A thrush-egg shell
D. A four-leaf clover

C. A thrush-egg shell.
At the road, the Narrator picked up the empty shell of a thrush egg lying in the grass.

42. What did Lydia’s mother say she was doing in Evensford?

A. Buying a house
B. Visiting her daughter
C. Business with solicitor
D. Attending a party

C. Business with a solicitor.
Lydia’s mother said she was in town for “A little business with the family solicitor” once a year.

43. What happened to Miss Juliana three days after Lydia’s twenty-first birthday party?

A. She went to London
B. She died suddenly
C. She became wealthy
D. She had a party

B. She died suddenly.
Three mornings after the party, Juliana woke up, reached for the bell, and was found dead.

44. What structure burned down in the fire at Johnson’s garage?

A. The house
B. The stables
C. The office
D. The Chrysler

B. The stables.
Blackie had a fire in the back stables; the old landaus, wagonettes, and stables burned.
45. Who did Lydia send Tom Holland to see with a note on her birthday evening?

A. Alex Sanderson
B. Blackie Johnson
C. Miss Bertie
D. Captain Rollo

B. Blackie Johnson.
Lydia sent Tom with a note to Blackie Johnson at the garage that night, after Alex refused.

46. How did Alex Sanderson die?

A. In a car crash
B. By shooting
C. By drowning
D. Suicide

C. By drowning.
Alex slipped off the bridge parapet and fell into the river, and drowned, where they were dragging for his body.

47. What was the name Tom and the Narrator gave the local fox?

A. Sir Roger
B. King Henry
C. Master Reynard
D. Lord Julian

A. Sir Roger.
Tom said the fox lay in the barley washing himself, suggesting they call him “Sir Roger”.

48. Who were the McKechnies who lived up the hill from Tom’s farm?

A. Baptist butchers
B. Liberal professors
C. Presbyterian farmers
D. Anglican lawyers

C. Presbyterian farmers.
Tom’s neighbours, the McKechnies, were a family of Presbyterian Scots who attended the Succoth chapel.

49. What did Blackie eventually decide to do to the limousine?

A. Paint it blue
B. Sell it quickly
C. Give it away
D. Scrap the body

A. Paint it blue.
Blackie planned to repaint the limousine after repairs, deciding on a nice blue.
50. What realization helped the Narrator finally accept Lydia and conquer his fear?

A. He was broke
B. He was growing up
C. He hated the town
D. He loved Blackie

B. He was growing up.
He realized that he, too, had been growing up, and the pain of love might be its flowering.

Brief Overview

Love for Lydia is a novel by H. E. Bates, first published in 1952. It is a semi-autobiographical novel set in the fictional town of Evensford, England. The story details the intense and often tragic relationship between a shy young man and the unpredictable woman he loves, Lydia Aspen.

The novel begins in winter with the arrival of Lydia Aspen in Evensford. She is the niece of two sisters and has lived a very lonely, restricted life. The narrator, a young, shy local reporter named Richardson, meets Lydia.

Richardson teaches Lydia to skate, and they quickly fall in love. Lydia changes rapidly as she becomes fascinated with the town’s social life, attending dances with friends like Tom Holland and Alex Sanderson.

Her growing need for excitement and wild living causes serious difficulties, leading to a fight between Alex and the driver, Blackie Johnson. The novel takes a tragic turn when Alex falls from a bridge and dies. Later, Tom Holland is also killed in an accident.

Richardson leaves Evensford but returns two years later to find Lydia in a sanatorium. She became sick due to excessive partying and drinking. Blackie visits her often, showing loyal affection. Richardson visits, too, and Lydia recovers slowly.

Lydia decides she will never return to her old, restricted life in the big house. She asks Richardson to leave Evensford and go to the sea with her. Richardson agrees, feeling true happiness for their future together.

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