What would you do if you came across a plot that was so innovative that you knew it could not miss? It would become a bestselling novel, a blockbuster movie, and live at the top of bestseller lists. If you had a chance to write a novel based on such a plot, would you do it? Even if it meant ultimately putting your career in jeopardy?
Jacob Finch Bonner is a writer. He worked hard to get into the best MFA program in the Midwest. His first novel got a little bit of attention, was called noteworthy by those in the industry, opened up some doors for him. So he wrote a second novel. His publisher passed on it. but he did eventually find a small press to publish it. His third and fourth novels didn’t even get that. They were rejected outright. He had to supplement his income by teaching creative writing a short residency program that will let in anyone who has the price of admission. He tries to give advice to his students, but they rarely show the kind of promise, the depth of thought, the complexity of character, the smoothness of language to write a publishable novel. And then he meets Evan Parker.
Evan Parker is one of his students, but he doesn’t actually seem all that interested in learning more about writing. In class, he doesn’t participate in the readings of the work of his fellow students, and when he’s scheduled for an individual session to go over his work with Bonner, he is reluctant to talk or to take criticism, just sitting back with his arms crossed to everything Bonner has to offer. He explained to Bonner that he had a plot that was so different than everything else that he just had to write the book, and the world would be his. His teacher didn’t believe him, so Evan Parker told him the plot that would make him a bestselling novel.
After the writing program, Bonner went home and promptly forgot all about it. He took on more freelance editing assignments to make ends meet, and then he signed on to run a hotel that was a haven for writers and poets. He kept the writers happy, and he had time during the day for his freelance editing and writing his own novels (not that he’d been doing much of his own writing by this point). And then one day, getting yelled at by a hotel guest who was self-assured and entitled, Bonner remembered. He remembered his student Evan Parker and that novel that was supposed to put him on the map. Bonner thought he would have heard about the book by now, since it was to be an instant bestseller.
When Bonner put his former student’s name into a search engine, he realized why Evan Parker hadn’t taken the publishing world by storm, hadn’t become a household name, hadn’t been a part of Oprah’s Book Club. Parker had died before he could finish his novel. That great idea had died with him.
Except, he’d told Bonner. And Bonner hadn’t written a good book since his first one. He hadn’t written a bestseller ever. He’d only ever read a handful of pages of Parker’s work, so it wouldn’t be plagiarism. It would just be giving that brilliant plot a second chance at life. Writers borrowed plots all the time. They stole from Shakespeare and Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. What he was doing was no different. So he wrote the novel Crib. And just like Parker had said, it became a huge hit.
It wasn’t until the second leg of his book tour that he got the first email. It came through the email form on his website, and it said, simply, “You are a thief.”
From then on, he is looking over his shoulder, worried about who could have possibly known that that plot wasn’t originally his. He starts to look into other writers who were in that creative writing program with Parker. Who could know about this? Bonner doesn’t tell his agent or publisher about this until the anonymous emailer, “TalentedTom,” starts posting on social media. Bonner keeps denying any wrongdoing, and his publisher stands behind him, but he knows that he is digging himself in deeper with each denial. If he were to be found out, he would lose everything. But how far is he willing to go to make sure that doesn’t happen?
The Plot is Jean Hanff Korelitz’s slow burn (emphasis on “burn”) look at writers, the process of writing a novel, and the industry of publishing. It’s a tightly written story that takes a close look at creativity and industry, at ego and humility, at self-actualization and self-delusion. And there’s a big twist in there that will change everything you thought you knew about these characters.
I thought that The Plot was fun, inventive, and smart. There are so many lovely surprises throughout this story that kept me wanting to move forward, but it’s so beautifully written I wanted to slow down and enjoy the ride. I wanted the journey and the destination both, which is the best kind of novel to read. I thought these characters were well conceived without being stereotypes. I’ll be honest though—I had some issues at first with the idea of a plot that had never been done before. I had some trouble believing in that. But as the story unfolded, I saw what it was and how it was used in the story, and it does work well in this context. But does a completely new plot really exist? That I still have my doubts about. But putting my own philosophy on story aside, The Plot is a great page-turner to read and enjoy. Enjoy it on a long weekend or a vacation, when you have time to lose yourself in the story.
Egalleys for The Plot were provided by Celadon Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.