The Plot - Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Plot

By Jean Hanff Korelitz

  • Release Date: 2021-05-11
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4
4
From 1,305 Ratings

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?

Reviews

  • The Plot

    4
    By IdaElizabeth9
    A very interesting book to read!
  • The Plot

    3
    By srormy1
    It took awhile to understand where the author was going with the story. You must hang in there as the plot evolves. The book turned out to be quite interesting. Just took too long to get there
  • The Plot

    5
    By plotlover66
    Loved this book!!!!!
  • Hooked!

    5
    By Aundraya94
    Great level of suspense and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
  • The plot

    5
    By Arnies volunteer
    Crazy unbelievable twists all the way to the very end! An absolute MUST READ👍
  • Not a fan of murder mystery but……

    3
    By Madofar2
    This held my interest for a while….until the gray haired girlfriend came into the picture. There wasn’t any warmth to the relationship and she became suspicious to me. I also got irritated with the author being a “wimp”.
  • Maybe it’s me?

    3
    By Tim Jennings
    I admittedly read more non-fiction than fiction. To really get into a novel it has to grab me early and pique my interest. This novel didn’t do that. I was bored and didn’t really care for the main character. I think she is a good writer and gave the book three stars for that. It just wasn’t for me. Next.
  • The Plot

    1
    By ropremd
    Started out slow. Then, got interesting enough to keep reading. But, had to skim over a lot. Not worth the time spent! Even after skipping over slow parts. Terrible ending! Don’t waste your time reading it!!
  • Meta, “Gone Girl”-ish

    3
    By Bubbbbbbbba1
    Don’t know if the dual story structure was worth it… didn’t really have a big payoff once the climax was set in motion… on the positive side, this author took a really big creative swing here.this book wasn’t a home run, it was at least a ground rule double, though. There are slow burn, nuanced character developments… along with tensely plotted, beach read action sequences .
  • The plot

    3
    By trsilvius
    Very easy to get to bad guy. A bit boring getting there.