Posted on March 30, 2014 at 12:00 AM by Jeffrey Bruner
Sixty-four started the quest for literary glory. Only four remain.
Austen. Christie. Twain. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss' Whoville Army, a No. 5 seed that previously slayed titans Charles Dickens, George Orwell and Richard Wright, unleashed its Schlopps of Wrath on John Steinbeck. It wasn't even close as Seuss won, 268-138.
Seuss will meet No. 10 Mark Twain in the first semifinal, prevailing in a thriller over No. 1 seed William Shakespeare, 204-200. Twain, who once remarked that "reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," has had the toughest road to the final four -- he's beaten JRR Tolkien, Ernest Hemingway and Patricia Cornwell prior to dispatching The Bard.
The other semifinal will feature two ladies with contrasting styles -- Agatha Christie and Jane Austen. Both entered the tournament as No. 1 seeds.
Austen had suprisingly little trouble with Victor Hugo, who she made miserable in a 302-101 blowout. Christie had to work harder to death another British literary giant, JK Rowling, 223-183.