Quiz Triangle Danielle Steel

Triangle by Danielle Steel: 20-Question Quiz

Quiz Instructions

This quiz covers the entire novel. Questions are grouped by type: plot/sequence, character motivation, theme/symbol, and synthesis. Choose the best answer for multiple-choice questions; write a short answer for the others. Use the answer key at the end to check your responses.

Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)

  1. Where does Amanda first meet Olivier Saint Albin?

    • A) At a Picasso retrospective
    • B) At a formal dinner at the de Beaumonts’ home
    • C) At her art gallery
    • D) At a book fair in London

  2. How does Olivier initially describe his marriage to Amanda?

    • A) He is divorced and has two sons
    • B) He is married but has an "understanding" with his wife
    • C) He is widowed
    • D) He has never been married

  3. What event causes Olivier to delay telling his wife he wants a divorce?

    • A) His son’s graduation
    • B) Stephanie’s serious riding accident in England
    • C) A business crisis at his publishing house
    • D) Amanda’s refusal to see him

  4. Who is the stalker that breaks into Amanda’s apartment and ultimately tries to kill her?

    • A) Johnny Vegas
    • B) Tom Quinlan
    • C) Pascal Leblanc
    • D) Olivier’s wife Stephanie

  5. What does Stephanie reveal to Olivier that allows them both to pursue divorce?

    • A) She has been having an affair with Pascal
    • B) She is a lesbian and has been in a twenty-year relationship with Lizzie
    • C) She wants to move to England permanently
    • D) She no longer loves her horses

  6. In chapter 16, whose wedding takes place at the Paris Polo Club?

    • A) Amanda and Olivier’s wedding
    • B) Stephanie and Lizzie’s wedding
    • C) Pascal and Delphine’s wedding
    • D) Tom and his new girlfriend’s wedding

  7. What does Tom Quinlan do after finishing his thriller in chapter 12?

    • A) He leaves Paris immediately
    • B) He invites Amanda to lunch and later assaults her in his car
    • C) He submits the manuscript and throws a party
    • D) He reconciles with his ex-wife

  8. At the end of the novel, what is Amanda’s situation?

    • A) She is single and focused on her gallery
    • B) She is married to Olivier and pregnant with their child
    • C) She moves to New York to start over
    • D) She adopts a child alone

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

  1. Why does Amanda initially refuse to continue her relationship with Olivier after learning he is married? (Short answer)

  2. What motivates Pascal to repeatedly try to reconnect Amanda with Olivier after Stephanie’s accident?

    • A) He dislikes Tom Quinlan even more
    • B) He believes Olivier is truly in love with Amanda and will leave his wife
    • C) He wants Amanda to be happy so she stops working so hard
    • D) He is secretly in love with Amanda himself

  3. Why does Tom Quinlan become violent toward Amanda?

    • A) He is jealous of Olivier and feels rejected after years of pining
    • B) He has a psychotic disorder triggered by Paris
    • C) He wants revenge for a failed business deal
    • D) He is drunk and mistakes her for his ex-wife

  4. What reason does Stephanie give for staying married to Olivier for so long?

    • A) She loved him deeply and hoped he would change
    • B) She feared the public shame and failure of divorce
    • C) She needed his financial support for her horse farm
    • D) She wanted to protect her sons from scandal

  5. At the gallery opening in chapter 10, how does Amanda feel after meeting Stephanie in person?

    • A) Triumphant because she is more beautiful
    • B) Guilty, because Stephanie seems shy and vulnerable
    • C) Indifferent, as she had already decided to end things
    • D) Jealous of Stephanie’s social status

Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)

  1. What does the recurrent symbol of rainbows in the novel represent?

    • A) The unpredictability of weather in Paris
    • B) Hope and renewal after struggle
    • C) The LGBTQ+ pride movement
    • D) Amanda’s love of painting

  2. How does the theme of “found family” appear in the story?

    • A) Pascal and Amanda consider themselves family even though they are not related
    • B) Stephanie’s three friends become her primary caregivers and support system
    • C) Amanda treats the artists she represents like her children
    • D) All of the above

  3. What does Amanda’s dog Lulu symbolize in her life?

    • A) Her independence and reluctance to commit to human relationships
    • B) Her love of luxury and status
    • C) Her connection to her American mother
    • D) Her fear of being alone

  4. The accordion playing that both Amanda and Olivier dislike at the de Beaumont dinner is used to illustrate what theme?

    • A) The shallowness of high society events
    • B) Their shared sense of humor and instant connection
    • C) The importance of music in French culture
    • D) Olivier’s impatience with social obligations

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

  1. Compare Amanda’s relationship with Tom Quinlan to her relationship with Olivier Saint Albin. What key difference leads to one being healthy and the other toxic? (Short answer)

  2. How does the author use the subplot of the stalker to advance both the suspense and the romantic resolution of the novel? (Short answer)

  3. In what ways does the character of Pascal serve as a foil to Amanda? (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. B – Amanda meets Olivier at a dinner party hosted by the de Beaumonts, where they bond over their dislike of the accordion. (Chapter 2)

2. B – In Chapter 5, after a romantic trip to London, Olivier tells Amanda he is married but claims he and his wife have an “understanding.”

3. B – Stephanie breaks her pelvis, shoulder, arm, and leg in a riding accident, making Olivier feel obligated to care for her and delaying his plan to ask for a divorce. (Chapter 11)

4. B – Tom Quinlan is the stalker. In Chapter 15, Olivier catches him breaking into Amanda’s apartment and attempting to rape and stab her.

5. B – In Chapter 14, Stephanie confesses to Olivier that she is a lesbian and has been with Lizzie for twenty years, and asks for a divorce.

6. B – The final chapter describes the wedding of Stephanie and Lizzie at the Paris Polo Club, officiated by a Protestant minister.

7. B – After finishing his thriller, Tom invites Amanda to lunch; later he drives her to a movie and assaults her in his car. (Chapter 12)

8. B – In Chapter 16, Olivier and Amanda are married and expecting a child.

9. Amanda had a painful three-year affair with a married man who never left his wife, and she refuses to be a “mistress” again out of self-respect and integrity. (Chapters 1, 5)

10. B – Pascal believes Olivier is sincere about leaving his wife and that Amanda is making a mistake by cutting him off. (Chapter 12 evidence: “He says he’s not going to stay with his wife … I believe him.”)

11. A – Tom is consumed with jealousy over Olivier and feels entitled to Amanda because he loved her in college; his rage erupts when she rejects him. (Chapters 12–13)

12. B – Stephanie tells Olivier that divorce means public failure and humiliation to her, so she preferred to keep up appearances. (Chapter 9 evidence)

13. B – Amanda is struck by how shy and plain Stephanie seems and feels guilt, doubting Olivier will leave someone so vulnerable. (Chapter 10)

14. B – Rainbows appear after storms and at key moments of reconciliation, symbolizing hope and the promise of new beginnings (e.g., after Stephanie’s confession, at the wedding).

15. D – All three examples are present: Pascal and Amanda are like family; Stephanie’s friends Valerie, Veronique, and especially Lizzie become her caregivers; Amanda treats her gallery artists as kin.

16. A – Amanda often says Lulu is her soulmate and enough company, reflecting her guarded heart and reluctance to risk romantic vulnerability. (Chapter 1)

17. B – The accordion is a small, humorous detail that instantly creates a bond between Amanda and Olivier, highlighting their compatible senses of humor and immediate connection. (Chapter 2)

18. Tom’s love is possessive and controlling, rooted in his unresolved anger and need for dominance, while Olivier’s love is patient, respectful, and based on mutual support. Tom assaults Amanda when she refuses him; Olivier protects her and honors her choices.

19. The stalker plot raises the stakes and forces the characters to confront danger together. It also removes Tom as a threat, clearing the path for Amanda and Olivier to reunite without external obstacles. The trauma ultimately brings them closer.

20. Pascal is impulsive, chasing passionate but shallow romances, while Amanda is cautious and values integrity over passion. Pascal warns Amanda about Olivier’s marriage but also supports her choices; his chaotic love life contrasts with her desire for stability.