Pleasant Valley Library Online Book Group discussion

Post your thoughts and comments about The Plot here!

"Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot is a psychologically suspenseful novel 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?"

Hi Everyone,

Have any of you had the chance to read The Plot yet? If so, what do you think of it?

I read it in three days, and enjoyed the twisty storyline, and thought the author made some interesting observations about plagiarism in the writing and publishing world.

Here's some questions to keep in mind for discussion -

What constitutes plagiarism? Did Jake cross that line in writing a book from Evan's story idea after Evan died?
Do you think Jake would have written that story if he knew where it really came from?
Does anyone have the right to tell someone else's story?
What did you think of the story-within-a-story structure of the novel?
The word "plot" has three meanings: a story, a gravesite, a secret plan. How did the author convey these meanings in the book?
What did you think of the literary references and allusions throughout the book?

Looking forward to discussing The Plot with you all!

I just got it. Hopefully I can read it soon.

PugMom wrote: "I just got it. Hopefully I can read it soon."

It's a page-turner! :)