I was so happy when I finally got a notice from the library that it was available for me to pick up and read--two months after it came out! I first came across this author when I read You Should Have Known, but her other books weren't as engrossing as that one had been to me. However, while the plot of those other novels weren't as interesting to me (just a personal opinion), it was so obvious that the Jean Korelitz was a master of her craft. Her writing is just superb and that makes her books all the more joyous to read. Now, about this book.... I thought that it was part an homage to the trials and tribulations of writerhood in general. I'm sure that she pulled heavily from her own experiences in getting published and whatnot, and it was actually really interesting to read about those little details (the agent, the editor, the publisher, the book tours). I love how her main character felt...so totally real. So flawed, and so human, and so desperately wanting validation from the writing community (and beyond). I really felt for him and understood the decisions he made (and I don't think I would have done any differently than he). The ending was fantastic, and the mystery built into this novel was expertly done. I WILL have to say that perhaps all the nitty gritty details of the final reveal, that plot twist at the end, aren't all that grounded in reality. But could it have been possible? Yeah, sure. And that was really fun. I was really impressed by the way she ended it--I don't think I could have predicted that ending.
The only thing that deterred from my reading experience was that the PLOT, the central plot of The Plot, the one that the author stole, wasn't revealed to us until like, the last bits of the novel. It made me really impatient and I kinda did skip ahead to the ending, which ruined it a little for me. I think that might be a personal flaw though. I really wanted to know what incredible plot it had been that had driven this person to "steal it" as his own. I also think the author made several really good points throughout the novel about the idea of "stealing" plots in this day and age (like, so many themes are rehashed, but novels can still feel fresh and new when crafted by another generation of authors).
The only thing that deterred from my reading experience was that the PLOT, the central plot of The Plot, the one that the author stole, wasn't revealed to us until like, the last bits of the novel. It made me really impatient and I kinda did skip ahead to the ending, which ruined it a little for me. I think that might be a personal flaw though. I really wanted to know what incredible plot it had been that had driven this person to "steal it" as his own. I also think the author made several really good points throughout the novel about the idea of "stealing" plots in this day and age (like, so many themes are rehashed, but novels can still feel fresh and new when crafted by another generation of authors).