The Plot

Locations
Call Number: Mystery / Korelitz, Jean , Mystery / Korelitz, Jean, Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Korelitz, Jean Hanff
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

"Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he's teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what's left of his self-respect; he hasn't written - let alone published - anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn't need Jake's help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker's first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that - a story that absolutely needs to be told. In a few short years, all of Evan Parker's predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says. As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his "sure thing" of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?"--Publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Not for the faint of heart submitted by kkjammers on January 16, 2022, 7:59am Expertly and convincingly drawn characters. As I wound my way through this compelling tale, I expected a remarkable conclusion, and I was not disappointed. Korelitz also wrote "You Should Have Known," the novel HBO's "The Undoing" (with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant" was based on. This can give you an idea of the flavor of Korelitz' writing. If AADL further classified books into "horror," this novel qualifies, though the psychological and thriller fiction categories suffice.

A good mystery submitted by LVDS on August 22, 2022, 9:49am Interesting story from a writers viewpoint and the questions of plagiarism. I began to suspect what the surprise ending may be...so was not very 'surprised.

The Plot submitted by leighsprauer on August 28, 2023, 8:12am First of all, I accidentally read a spoiler when I was about 1/3 of the way through this book, so I'm probably judging it more harshly, since the big plot twist didn't have the same weight for me. So you can keep that in mind.
The Plot is about an author and teacher whose student tells him his idea for a novel. The author ends up "stealing" that idea, and writing a wildly successful book based on the plot. Both the author and the student describe the idea as so amazingly new and shocking and fabulous that it can't help being a bestseller, even if it's written by a second-rate writer.
That's really an unfortunate stand for Korelitz to take, because of course you can't help but think: ah, yes, this is a good story, but you are not a good writer. And that's how literature works: you really can mess up a decent story by being a subpar writer, and this is what Korelitz has done. The writing is just decent. The fact that she is writing about a writer makes it even worse: it's self-conscious and precious in all the worst ways. She attempts to have the main character, Jake Bonner, prove that anyone can be a writer, and that there's nothing special or unique about a published author. Methinks she doth protest too much; it comes across as coy and obnoxious.
It's not a *bad* book. I gave it a solid three stars because it's readable and the story is interesting.