The Plot
A Novel
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4.0 • 1.4K Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! ** The Tonight Show Summer Reads Winner ** A New York Times Notable Book of 2021 **
"Insanely readable." —Stephen King
Hailed as "breathtakingly suspenseful," Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot is a propulsive read about a story too good not to steal, and the writer who steals it.
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?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Plot is the absolute best kind of psychological thriller, one that leaves you pondering fascinating questions even after you’ve finished the book. Once touted as fiction’s next big thing, Jake Bonner finds himself stuck teaching creative writing at a third-rate Vermont college. Jake’s most promising student has an outline for what sounds like an incredible novel, but after he dies, Jake writes the book himself, becoming the hottest name in literature. And that’s when the threatening emails start. Jean Hanff Korelitz absolutely nails Jake’s neurotic blend of egotism and self-doubt—and as his feelings of guilt get worse, the tension ratchets up to an almost sadistic degree. Obviously, we won’t give away the ending, but don’t skip the brief epilogue, which will make you second-guess everything that just happened. The Plot is an absolute master class in mind games.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jacob Finch Bonner, the hapless protagonist of this ingeniously twisty novel from Korelitz (The Devil and Webster), teaches creative writing in a low-residency MFA program at Ripley College in Vermont. Since his first novel came out to critical acclaim years before, Jake has published virtually nothing. One of Jake's students is cocky Evan Parker, who announces the first day of class that he's considering using "Parker Evan" as a pen name and is well along in his novel, which he asserts has the perfect plot. Soon after leaving the residency, Evan dies, leaving the "sure thing" to gather dust. When Jake learns of Evan's death, he uses Evan's plot for what turns out to be a phenomenally successful bestseller. But as Jake is in the midst of a whirlwind book tour, he's contacted by someone who knows exactly what he did and is vowing to out his literary transgression to the world. Deep character development, an impressively thick tapestry of intertwining story lines, and a candid glimpse into the publishing business make this a page-turner of the highest order. Korelitz deserves acclaim for her own perfect plot.
Customer Reviews
Ok
I like the play on words in the title. The protagonist is supposed to be dumb, but he is cartoonishly stupid. The whole story screams at a crazy plot twist, but I knew where it could be heading a third of the way through. I must say my own preconceptions stopped me from figuring it completely out until the 3/4 mark, and then I was a little sick. ( I will have to go back to classics; modern thrillers always want to outdo each other in psychopathy.) The red herring is so obvious- do they want us to know so we feel better we figured it out instead of surprising us as the readers of the fictitious book were surprised? At one point in a big reveal, the reveal was casually ruined 20 pages earlier by the protagonist (is that an editing mistake?). I just started reading thrillers, and overall I guess this one is ok as a beach read. I give it four stars because I like the descriptive details and although no major character is likable, it does make you think about differences in gender roles.
Meh
First time reader of this author. I agree with many of the reviewers, first half is slow and the author’s writing style is awkward. Had to reread sentences many times.
I did like that Jake’s character was constant until the end. The first half of the book really dives into who he is and his insecurities which didn’t change after his success. A whimp until the end.
Anna’s character was weak. The introduction to her final act made no sense. She could have stayed hidden and no one would have been the wiser. Was she a psychopath, a narcissist, what? As soon as she was introduced it pretty much gave the rest of the story away. Another reviewer called it right. As soon as Jake met the attorney in GA it confirmed what most already figured out by that point.
The plot within the plot was ok. However, books like Yellowface did it better.
All in all it’s an ok read.
Save yourself the frustration and read something else
This is a pretty terrible book. The writing is painfully awkward, everybody sounds exactly the same when they speak, zero character development because there is no character to speak of, the pacing is grinding, the book is twice as long as it should be. Where was this writer’s editor?