I raced through Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot while on last year’s Central European rail jaunt. It’s a literary thriller about a blocked writer who uses the surefire plot a student recounts to him after he learns of the student’s death with dire consequences. I dithered about reading The Sequel, having learnt my lesson with follow-ups but decided to take the plunge. It picks up where The Plot leaves off with Anna now her late husband’s literary executor. This isn’t a sequel that stands alone well. If you like the sound of it, best read The Plot first.
She had worked for so long to separate the two circles of the Venn diagram that was her actual life.
Anna’s never had much time for writers, a precious bunch obsessed with seeing their prose between two covers on booksellers’ tables. Surely it can’t be that difficult, she thinks. Jake’s publishing team are all too eager when she tentatively suggests she might write something herself, setting up a place for her at a writers’ colony, ecstatic when she delivers The Afterword about a widow grieving the suicide of her beloved husband. Anna knows how to present herself as the modest newcomer, sensitive to readers who attend signings eager to share their own stories of loss, and offended when asked to sign copies of Crib, Jake’s bestselling novel. At one such event, Anna is handed a copy of her novel with a Post-it attached requesting the inscription ‘For Evan Parker, not forgotten’. Before long excerpts from a manuscript horribly familiar to Anna begin turning up, setting off alarm bells.
That was the thing about a private experience. You could speculate all you wanted. You could fictionalise. You could assume. And Evan had done every one of those things, repeatedly. But you couldn’t know for sure.
Korelitz’s follow-up gets off to a slow start smartly gaining pace as Anna realises her new comfortable life is under threat and takes off in pursuit of whoever is sending those excerpts. It’s all a bit improbable but enjoyably so with the help of a hefty dose of dark humour. Korelitz mercilessly satirises the publishing industry – Jake’s publishing team nakedly eager to cash in on his widow’s success, urging her to deliver her second novel, and asking why shouldn’t she sign copies of Crib, after all. Writers also come in for some stick, prepared to toady to whoever offers the prospect of publication no matter how tenuous. In a nice touch, chapters are named after sequels with a handy list at the end. That quote in my subtitle is Korelitz’s nod to the pitfalls of sequels and while I found this one entertaining, it’s not as successful as some on her list. That said, fans of The Plot are likely to enjoy it, and well done Faber for publishing it straight into paperback.
Faber & Faber London 9780571391226 352 pages Paperback (read via NetGalley)
On the strength of your review, I’ve reserved The Plot at the library. Oddly, there are only 2 copies available in the whole county; whereas The Sequel is available in 20 branches, including my own. Hmmmm.
That is odd. I don’t think it would be worth reading The Sequel if you hadn’t read The Plot. I hope you enjoy it. An opportunity to slip your brain into neutral.
Well, that will be quite welcome. I mght mention The Sequel conundrum next time I’m on shift as a volunteer.
It does seem odd.
I loved The Plot so am very keen to read this. I find her books so smart yet accessible.
They are, aren’t they. I did wonder what her publishers thought of this one as the industry comes in for quite a bit of stick!
I know! I wondered the same about Yellowface…
I’ve been in two minds about reading that. Would you recommend it?
I enjoyed it. I thought The Plot did a similar thing slightly better, but Yellowface is fun, if forgettable.
Maybe a quick holiday read, then.
Perfect for the beach…
Absolutely, or in my case, a long train journey.
I enjoyed this but not as much as The Plot (though it did interestingly address a couple of issues I had with The Plot!)
I agree. It was better than the average sequel but not as good as the original. That is interesting but I’m guessing it might be giving too much away to tell me what they were.
I did love The Plot, and would happily read this if it comes my way.
I think it was you who put me on to The Plot, Annabel. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. Her lampooning of the book world is very entertaining.
I’m getting some vibes of Yellowface (which also I’m yet to read) from these but they sound well worth exploring!
Ha! You’re the third person to have mentioned Yellowface in connection with Korelitz. I’ll have to read it now.
I have yet to read it. It’s waiting on my shelves though!
Having not read The Plot it sounds like that needs to be a first stop!
Definitely but only if you fancy a literary thriller! It was perfect holiday reading for me.
I’ve only read one of her novels (perhaps her first?) and I liked it while reading it but didn’t retain very much. Not that that’s necessarily a criticism!
They’re easy, well turned out entertainments, I think.