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A review by freethefrican
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is about an author who steals his MFA student's plot, writes it, and becomes insanely successful after the stolen story gets published. However, all his new-found fame and comforts are being threatened by someone who knows his secret and wants to expose him. Having read a ridiculous but wonderful book with a similar premise in the past (About the Author by John Colapinto), I was very excited to pick this up but boy was I disappointed.
The protagonist was boring. He was dull, gave me nothing to root for or even hate, and honestly felt like a blank sheet the author just used to tell THIS story. I don't know if it was intentional but I couldn't even picture him because of how little information about his physical appearance was given, talk less of the other attributes that make a good character.
The story itself, as he tried to find the person who knew his secret, was boring. The great and best-selling plot that caused all the trouble was not that great, even with its "shocking plot twist".
So, I found myself reading a book about a book that was supposed to be ridiculously good and both books were dull. It was also easy to guess the villain because the secondary characters were so bloody few and the mystery wasn't that deep.
The writing and pacing were okay and I liked that it asked some questions about plagiarism and who really owns a plot. I liked how it showed that despite getting all he thought he wanted, he was still rather unhappy, unfulfilled, and for the most part didn't know how to make good use of all his new access. Sadly, I found myself struggling to care for or be invested in him and that, more than anything, harmed my enjoyment of this book.
The protagonist was boring. He was dull, gave me nothing to root for or even hate, and honestly felt like a blank sheet the author just used to tell THIS story. I don't know if it was intentional but I couldn't even picture him because of how little information about his physical appearance was given, talk less of the other attributes that make a good character.
The story itself, as he tried to find the person who knew his secret, was boring. The great and best-selling plot that caused all the trouble was not that great, even with its "shocking plot twist".
So, I found myself reading a book about a book that was supposed to be ridiculously good and both books were dull. It was also easy to guess the villain because the secondary characters were so bloody few and the mystery wasn't that deep.
The writing and pacing were okay and I liked that it asked some questions about plagiarism and who really owns a plot. I liked how it showed that despite getting all he thought he wanted, he was still rather unhappy, unfulfilled, and for the most part didn't know how to make good use of all his new access. Sadly, I found myself struggling to care for or be invested in him and that, more than anything, harmed my enjoyment of this book.