The Last Word MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 9, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 15 min

The Last Word MCQs

1. Harry Johnson is travelling by train to visit which location?

A. Taunton, England
B. London, UK
C. Boulogne, France
D. Chiswick, London

A. Taunton, England.
Harry and Rob were on the train heading to Taunton to meet Mamoon at his house.

2. Who commissioned Harry to write a biography of Mamoon Azam?

A. Liana Luccioni
B. Rob Deveraux
C. Alice Jackson
D. Peggy Azam

B. Rob Deveraux.
Rob Deveraux, a respected publisher, approached Harry with the commissioning idea.

3. What type of biography had Harry previously published?

A. An essay collection
B. Nehru’s biography
C. Mamoon Azam’s life
D. Nehru’s controversial life

B. Nehru’s biography.
Harry had previously published a well-received biography detailing the life of Nehru.

4. What is Mamoon Azam’s main profession?

A. Essayist and poet
B. Publisher and editor
C. Novelist and playwright
D. Biographer and teacher

C. Novelist and playwright.
Mamoon Azam is described as an Indian-born novelist, essayist, and playwright.
5. Why did Mamoon need a new “controversial” biography?

A. To impress critics
B. For financial reasons
C. To anger his wife
D. To mock democracy

B. For financial reasons.
Mamoon was becoming financially undone, needing a boost to his quiet career.

6. What does Rob compare Mamoon and Liana’s unlikely marriage to?

A. Mailer and Forster
B. Kafka and Beckett
C. Gandhi and Bassey
D. Dickens and Waugh

C. Gandhi and Bassey.
Rob likened the coupling to Gandhi marrying Shirley Bassey and living in Ambridge.

7. Rob views writing primarily as a form of:

A. Saving humanity
B. Extreme combat
C. Peaceful servitude
D. Artistic expression

B. Extreme combat.
Rob considered the act of writing to be a form of extreme combat and humanity’s saving grace.

8. What genre does Rob instruct Harry to write?

A. Gentle portraiture
B. Extreme biography
C. Hagiography
D. Literary criticism

B. Extreme biography.
Rob instructed Harry that his job was to write an extreme biography revealing Mamoon’s secrets.

9. What evidence of Mamoon’s past cruelty did Rob arrange access to?

A. Love letters
B. Peggy’s diaries
C. Marion’s memoir
D. Financial records

B. Peggy’s diaries.
Rob organised access for Harry to read the diaries kept by Mamoon’s first wife, Peggy.
10. What nickname did Rob give himself in relation to Harry?

A. The Devil
B. Mephistopheles
C. The Artist
D. The Rock Star

B. Mephistopheles.
Rob referred to himself as Harry’s Mephistopheles, initiating Harry’s new path.

11. What is the name of Mamoon and Liana’s country house?

A. Prospect Cottage
B. Prospects House
C. Mamoon Manor
D. Taunton House

B. Prospects House.
Liana warmly welcomed Harry, inviting him to stay at Prospects House.

12. How does Mamoon dress when he initially appears for a walk?

A. Tweedy country clothes
B. Blue Adidas tracksuit
C. Silk pyjamas
D. Formal suit and tie

B. Blue Adidas tracksuit.
Mamoon appeared in a blue Adidas tracksuit and trainers when inviting Harry to walk.

13. Harry was surprised that playing which sport was part of the deal?

A. Cricket
B. Kickboxing
C. Tennis
D. Capoeira

C. Tennis.
Rob failed to inform Harry that playing tennis with Mamoon was expected and part of the deal.

14. What compliment did Mamoon give Harry after their tennis session?

A. English gentleman cricketer
B. Talented biographer
C. Excellent tennis player
D. Decent, bright Englishman

D. Decent, bright Englishman.
Mamoon whispered to Liana that Harry seemed like one of the few decent and bright Englishmen left.
15. What does Liana insist Harry must produce regarding Mamoon?

A. A controversial book
B. A true account
C. A gentle book
D. Facts only

C. A gentle book.
Liana stressed that Harry must write a gentle book to protect Mamoon’s reputation.

16. Harry’s fiancée, Alice, works primarily as what?

A. A literary critic
B. A psychiatrist
C. A fashion PA
D. A school teacher

C. A fashion PA.
Harry told Liana that Alice worked as a PA to a clothes designer.

17. What task did Liana assign Harry, treating him like an odd-job man?

A. Driving her car
B. Grocery shopping
C. Reading her book
D. Fixing the fence

B. Grocery shopping.
Harry was recruited to accompany Liana to the supermarket and carry the items.

18. Where does Harry find Peggy’s valuable diaries?

A. In the library
B. In Mamoon’s workroom
C. In a wooden crate
D. Under the bed

C. In a wooden crate.
Harry found Peggy’s diaries in a wooden crate located inside the semi-derelict barn.

19. What happened when Harry first tried to interview Mamoon directly?

A. Mamoon ran away
B. Liana intervened
C. Harry got answers
D. He was successful

B. Liana intervened.
Liana rushed out, warning Harry never to approach Mamoon when he was “in the zone”.
20. What object did Peggy include between the pages of her diaries?

A. Small coins
B. Mamoon’s poems
C. Pressed flowers
D. Tiny photographs

C. Pressed flowers.
Peggy’s beautiful journals contained pressed flowers, notes from Mamoon, and Polaroids of cats.

21. Liana’s primary motivation for the biography project is related to:

A. Literary reputation
B. Mamoon’s happiness
C. Financial problems
D. Meeting celebrities

C. Financial problems.
Liana was shocked by Mamoon’s modest income, seeking a solution to their fiscal issues.

22. What item did Liana suggest Mamoon needed to become like?

A. A literary classic
B. Heinz ketchup
C. A famous ‘brand’
D. A Mont Blanc pen

C. A famous ‘brand’.
Liana was convinced that the solution to their financial issues was for Mamoon to become a ‘brand’.

23. What did Liana threaten to do to Mamoon’s possessions if finances worsened?

A. Sell film rights
B. Repair the Jacuzzi
C. Remortgage the house
D. Repair his reputation

C. Remortgage the house.
Mamoon was already selling his archive and might have to remortgage his house.

24. What comparison did Mamoon draw between sport and art?

A. Sport is softer
B. Art is definitive
C. Sport is existential
D. Art is unpredictable

C. Sport is existential.
Mamoon believed sport was existential and unpredictable, testing men in the moment, unlike soft art.
25. What did Mamoon say was the touchstone of his character?

A. Arrogance
B. Humiliation
C. Dignity
D. Fastidiousness

B. Humiliation.
Harry realised that humiliation was the core touchstone of Mamoon’s character and the source of his enjoyment.

26. Mamoon refers to all women writers, including Jane Austen, as what?

A. Female geniuses
B. Les Sapphics
C. Lesbian
D. Bored housewives

C. Lesbian.
Mamoon referred to all women writers, even Jane Austen, as lesbian.

27. Who appeared to Harry late one night in his bedroom?

A. Liana Luccioni
B. Alice Jackson
C. Peggy Azam
D. His mother

D. His mother.
Harry saw Peggy, who then transformed into his mother, asking about his life.

28. What happened to Harry’s mother when he was twelve?

A. She moved away
B. She died
C. She became ill
D. She went màd

B. She died.
Harry’s mother died when he was twelve years old, forcing him early into independence.

29. What did Harry’s father encourage Harry and his brothers to follow?

A. Financial success
B. Patients’ delusions
C. Sporting pursuits
D. Literary careers

B. Patients’ delusions.
Harry’s psychiatrist father encouraged following patients’ delusions, viewing them as stories or writing.
30. What did Harry suggest as a good way to contact a writer, irritating the locals?

A. Read his interviews
B. Study his sentences
C. Discuss his gossip
D. Check his finances

B. Study his sentences.
Harry irritated the locals by suggesting that reading the writer’s sentences was the best way.

31. Who is Julia’s mother, who works at Prospects House?

A. Whynne
B. Ruth
C. Lucy
D. Lotte

B. Ruth.
Julia’s mother, Ruth, was the housekeeper who served supper and helped clean the house.

32. What is Julia’s brother’s name?

A. Scott
B. Rob
C. Harry
D. Mamoon

A. Scott.
Julia’s brother is named Scott, a local skinhead who belongs to the National Party.

33. Mamoon’s novella, Afternoons with the Dictator, features dictators meeting where?

A. In a palace
B. In a café
C. In a museum
D. In the desert

B. In a café.
The novella describes five overthrown dictators meeting in a cafe on the Edgware Road in London.

34. What physical injury did Mamoon suffer while playing tennis?

A. Pulled muscle
B. Broken wrist
C. Herniated disc
D. Broken ankle

C. Herniated disc.
Mamoon’s doctor diagnosed his injury, sustained during tennis, as a herniated disc.
35. Mamoon says that marriage serves primarily as a:

A. Solution to love
B. Defence mechanism
C. Path to stability
D. Source of desire

B. Defence mechanism.
Harry saw marriage as a defence against desire’s turbulence, a view Mamoon seemed to accept.

36. What shocking object did Julia reveal she had obtained for Harry?

A. Mamoon’s letters
B. Reporter notebooks
C. Peggy’s jewellery
D. Liana’s diaries

B. Reporter notebooks.
Julia produced three stained reporter’s notebooks containing Mamoon’s notes, which she found in the barn.

37. What did Harry bring Liana after she confessed her need for enjoyment?

A. A loyalty discount
B. Anti-depressants
C. Illegal drugs
D. A diamond ring

C. Illegal drugs.
Harry procured ecstasy (MDMA) and magic mushrooms for Liana’s short-term enjoyment.

38. Why did Liana start the fire in the library?

A. She was suicidal
B. C. Hair caught flames
C. She was dancing
D. She was reading

B. C. Hair caught flames.
Liana’s loose hair fell into a plate of candles and caught fire while she was dancing.

39. What city did Harry visit to interview Mamoon’s former lover, Marion?

A. London, UK
B. New York
C. Venice, Italy
D. Portland, USA

D. Portland, USA.
After India, Harry flew to New York, then visited Marion, who lived in Portland.
40. What object did Marion regularly polish while recalling Mamoon?

A. His old tie
B. A photograph
C. Reading glasses
D. Peggy’s portrait

C. Reading glasses.
Marion polished Mamoon’s reading glasses every Sunday, recalling his smoky voice and the touch of his skin.

41. Marion revealed that some of Mamoon’s interviews in Evenings with the Killer were:

A. Highly praised
B. Fabricated
C. Transcribed poorly
D. Edited by Peggy

B. Fabricated.
Marion confessed that Mamoon had fabricated some interviews, altering quotes to suit the published piece.

42. After Marion, Mamoon returned to Peggy because she threatened him with losing what?

A. His reputation
B. The house/property
C. His friends
D. His money

B. The house/property.
Peggy threatened that Mamoon would forfeit the property, which was in her name, if he didn’t return.

43. What did Harry discover Alice was doing while he was away researching?

A. Shopping heavily
B. Staying at Prospects House
C. Meeting Rob Deveraux
D. Interviewing Ruth

B. Staying at Prospects House.
Alice was invited to stay at Mamoon’s house to rest while Harry was travelling for research.

44. What personal revelation did Alice share with Mamoon during their talks?

A. Her debt issues
B. She missed Harry
C. Her political views
D. Her pregnancy

D. Her pregnancy.
Alice revealed her pregnancy to Harry in Venice; she later told Mamoon the news privately.
45. What did Mamoon tell Harry that Harry’s first wife (Peggy) could not tolerate?

A. His betrayal
B. His work ethic
C. His semen
D. His loneliness

C. His semen.
Rob joked that Peggy was a “moaning lush who’d swallow anything, except his semen”.

46. What did Mamoon physically attack Harry with?

A. A heavy book
B. A tennis racket
C. The rabbit stick
D. His fists

C. The rabbit stick.
Mamoon came running out of the kitchen, wielding the stick Harry carved for him.

47. What reason did Mamoon give for firing Harry?

A. Harry was incompetent
B. Harry insulted Liana
C. Harry blabbed Marion’s claims
D. Harry was too truthful

C. Harry blabbed Marion’s claims.
Mamoon explicitly stated Harry was fired because he “blabbed about what Marion alleged”.

48. What did Liana threaten to throw away if Mamoon didn’t comply?

A. His reading glasses
B. The laptop
C. His favourite food
D. Peggy’s diaries

C. His favourite food.
Liana threatened to dump Mamoon’s favourite food, like dal makhani, if he didn’t cooperate.

49. What key fact did Ruth reveal about her history with Mamoon?

A. She slept with him
B. She cleaned the barn
C. She hated Peggy
D. She stole money

A. She slept with him.
Ruth confessed that Mamoon had slept with her twice during his period of deep sadness after Peggy died.
50. Mamoon’s new, final book, A Last Passion, is secretly about whom?

A. Marion and Mamoon
B. Liana and Harry
C. Alice and Mamoon
D. Peggy and Ruth

C. Alice and Mamoon.
The book concerns the older man’s secret love and relationship with Alice, the young woman.

Brief Overview

The Last Word is a novel by Hanif Kureishi, published in 2014. It is a satirical story that focuses on the battle for truth, dominance, and legacy between an ageing, famous Indian-born writer, Mamoon Azam, and his ambitious young biographer, Harry Johnson.

The novel follows Harry Johnson, a young writer chosen to write a book about Mamoon Azam. Harry needs this job to launch his career. Mamoon is facing financial problems, so his wife, Liana, wants a controversial book to boost sales.

Rob, Harry’s publisher, pushes Harry to write a shocking biography, suggesting Mamoon is a “dirty bastard” and possibly a murderer. Harry and Rob visit Mamoon and Liana at their country house.

Mamoon, now old and stiff, is difficult and refuses to discuss his past life. Harry gains access to the revealing diaries of Mamoon’s first wife, Peggy, who died as an unhappy alcoholic.

Harry also interviews Marion, Mamoon’s former mistress. Marion says Mamoon was unfaithful and liked sexual “extremity.” Harry uses this information, which makes Liana furious. Mamoon, in a rage, attacks Harry with a stick and fires him.

Harry convinces his pregnant fiancée, Alice, to speak to Mamoon to get the truth. Mamoon is charmed by Alice. The experience troubles Alice, but Mamoon is inspired to write a new novel about Harry and Alice.

Later, Mamoon suffers a stroke and becomes frail. Harry finishes his sensational biography. Harry separates from Alice after their twins are born and starts to write a new book about his mother’s tragic life.

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