The Plot Audiobook By Jean Hanff Korelitz cover art

The Plot

A Novel

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The Plot

By: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
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About this listen

"I think Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot is one of the best novels I’ve ever read about writers and writing. It’s also insanely readable and terrifying. The suspense quotient is through the roof...It’s remarkable." (Stephen King)

Hailed as "breathtakingly suspenseful", Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot is a propulsive audiobook 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 email 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?

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

"Narrator Kirby Heyborne maintains the brisk pace and firm tension of what promises to be one of the summer's most talked about suspense novels." (AudioFile Magazine)

©2021 Jean Hanff Korelitz (P)2021 Macmillan Audio
Psychological Suspense Fiction Exciting Mystery Student
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Critic reviews

Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2021: Long-listed

New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year, 2021: Long-listed

Washington Post Best Books of the Year, 2021: Long-listed

What listeners say about The Plot

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Who in god’s name hired this narrator???

The narrator is so bad that I could barely comprehend what was being said. AWFUL. And a shame-decent book, totally spoiled by the reading of it. Among the worst I’ve ever heard, and I listen to a lot of books. Worse than Scott Brick-who’d have thought it possible?

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Any Writer Could Predict Ending

Even though I figured out the ending half way through I’d hoped I would be surprised

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Turned out better than I thought at first

I enjoyed the fresh, new idea for a (ahem) plot. I appreciated the forward motion of the story. I entertained thoughts of giving up on the story in the beginning, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The story unfolded like one long, sustained crescendo which I liked. Not sure if it was meant as a twist or not, but the villain was easily spotted. Perhaps what I liked most about the story was the unconventional ending. I did not see that coming until it was too late. I also appreciated the short ending after the climatic moment.
I thought the narrator did a good job, but there were moments when his inflections sounded robotic, like Siri giving me driving directions. I have to think that is an editing issue and not the fault of the reader.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Writer’s POV

As a writer I found this of great interest. I enjoyed all of the references to fiction writing and the fact the story was about a writer and his point of view. I felt the author captured many truths in terms of what it can sometimes feel like to be a writer. I could often relate. It was also a pretty good mystery and although I’d guessed right about who was behind the trouble, there was still plenty to unravel in the end. All in all I’d highly recommend it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Nice and Twisty

Good story with a good narrator. The author kept me guessing.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the teacher-writer’s M.F.A. experience and the pressure to be published and reviewed. The main character is a tangle of motivations.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, narration a bit robotic.

At first I didn’t know if I could get through this audible because the narrator sounded like a robot. In time he either got better or I got used to it. Glad I hung in, good story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, really poor narration

Story is definitely enjoyable but unfortunately not aided by a really poor narrator. Worth it though.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Just OK

I didn’t hate the narrator as much as several reviewers here, nor did I hate the book as much. But I didn’t just love either one. And, yeah, I saw the end coming from 150 pages away. My rule: if I can’t give it five stars, and I can’t, I won’t recommend it to others.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Adjust the speed to 1.1

Overall a great listen. The plot is fantastic and I enjoyed the point of view the story was told from. The recording is a little robotic and I found that if you adjust the listen speed to 1.1 it smoothed out and was much more pleasant to consume.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Better read than listened to

I loved this book, but COULD NOT listen to the narrator. His robotic monotone voice could not keep my attention and I had to keep starting the book over. Finally after the third try, I gave up and read the book myself.

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