"Fans of The Plot, and they were legion, will rejoice at this sequel, performed with mesmerizing skill by the wonderful Julia Whelan...Whelan's achievement here seems like a little miracle, relentlessly compelling and wonderfully satisfying."—AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)
After the "insanely readable" (Stephen King) and "perfectly told" (Malcolm Gladwell) New York Times bestseller The Plot comes Jean Hanff Korelitz's equally captivating new novel: The Sequel.
Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of business. That is to say, she's taken care of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, and laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. Now she is living the contented life of a literary widow, enjoying her husband's royalty checks in perpetuity, but for the second time in her life, a work of fiction intercedes, and this time it's her own debut novel, The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller?
But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should no longer exist. That it does means something has gone very wrong, and someone out there knows far too much: about her late brother, her late husband, and—just possibly—Anna, herself. What does this person want and what are they prepared to do? She has come too far, and worked too hard, to lose what she values most: the sole and uncontested right to her own story. And she is, by any standard, a master storyteller.
With her signature wit and sardonic humor, Jean Hanff Korelitz gives listeners an antihero to root for while illuminating and satirizing the world of publishing in this deliciously fun and suspenseful read.
A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Awards
-
Release date
October 1, 2024 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781250354471
- File size: 288603 KB
- Duration: 10:01:14
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
Publisher's Weekly
Starred review from August 5, 2024
After the death of her novelist husband, Anna Williams-Bonner fights to protect his legacy—and hers—in Korelitz’s powerhouse sequel to The Plot. Pushed by the agent she inherited from her late husband, Jacob Bonner, to write a book inspired by Jacob’s death, Anna publishes a weepy debut novel called The Afterword. It’s a hit, but at a book signing, she receives an anonymous note indicating someone knows about the dirty truths her manuscript is masking. Certain she’s being stalked, Anna turns the tables and begins to pursue her pursuers, working tirelessly to keep her past hidden as the death toll mounts. Korelitz makes hay with her satirical depiction of the publishing industry’s ego parade—untended slush piles play a pivotal role—and she brilliantly ushers the action toward a shocking conclusion. She also offers satisfying glimpses into what makes Anna tick, placing her alongside Tom Ripley in the pantheon of amoral antiheroes. It’s another taut and compulsively readable spellbinder from Korelitz. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME. -
AudioFile Magazine
Fans of THE PLOT, and they were legion, will rejoice at this sequel, performed with mesmerizing skill by the wonderful Julia Whelan. It's no small feat to make a lethally dislikable character irresistible on the page, let alone in the ear, but Korelitz and Whelan have done it. Anna is a monster of ego, incapable of sympathy for anyone but herself. She is also brilliant, fearless, and like most psychopaths, contemptuous of others. This causes her to underestimate them, which leads to potentially fatal mistakes. Amazingly, you find yourself rooting for Anna to extricate herself, not because she isn't horrifying, but for the thrill of seeing how she does it. Whelan's achievement here seems like a little miracle, relentlessly compelling and wonderfully satisfying. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
Library Journal
December 6, 2024
Korelitz's sequel to The Plot follows the sordid history and present of Anna Williams Bonner, widow of writer Jacob Finch Bonner. The story opens following Jacob's death. While on a promotional tour for her husband's latest book published posthumously, Anna divulges plans to write a novel of her own. Emboldened by prompting from her agent and editor, Anna attends a writer's retreat, where a manuscript mirroring many aspects of her life is written and subsequently published. Although this latest publication gives Anna further financial freedom, she finds that it opens her life to increased scrutiny from the media, readers, and people from her past. When she receives an anonymous request to autograph a book referencing her deceased brother, she begins to wonder if her history is finally catching up with her. Julia Whelan's narration, told from Anna's perspective, is engaging and believable. VERDICT This novel, filled with characters that are easy to hate, will keep listeners hooked awaiting the next pivot in its twisty plot.--Misty Schattle
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
-
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.