What do you think?
Rate this book
I Plagiarized this Book from Myself
Will Nicholl has little in common with a private investigator working a missing person's case and a young woman avoiding her abusive ex-boyfriend. That is until he finds a book - the book- that throws his whole world into chaos. The book is blank except for one page; a page that Will wrote and told no one about. As he delves deeper into the genesis of the book he finds he is spectacularly connected to both the young woman and the private investigator. But the deeper he digs the more dangerous life becomes.
234 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2013
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 7, 2014
This book was an interesting read - for many reasons. Mr. Jamison starts off strong, and finishes leaving you wondering what just happened! We start off meeting Will, a grocery store clerk and aspiring writer who has written a grand total of one page in his life. One day, he finds a book that someone has written, that has the EXACT same first page as his work. And then the REAL story starts.
Filled with more twists and turns than an amusement park roller coaster, Mr. Jamison has woven a tale of suspense that has a shocking ending that will leave you filled with awe. The characters are realistic and well written, as are the locales that they visit throughout the story. I can't really say more without giving the whole thing away, but you won't be disappointed!
My only criticism of the story, is that with multiple points of view, I sometimes struggled to figure out who's head I was in. Thankfully, the story is strong enough to carry itself, and I am looking forward to more works from Mr. Jamison. If you only read one thriller this fall, this needs to be it!
Filled with more twists and turns than an amusement park roller coaster, Mr. Jamison has woven a tale of suspense that has a shocking ending that will leave you filled with awe. The characters are realistic and well written, as are the locales that they visit throughout the story. I can't really say more without giving the whole thing away, but you won't be disappointed!
My only criticism of the story, is that with multiple points of view, I sometimes struggled to figure out who's head I was in. Thankfully, the story is strong enough to carry itself, and I am looking forward to more works from Mr. Jamison. If you only read one thriller this fall, this needs to be it!
May 16, 2014
This book is one of those books where you want to read on to find out what happens, its slow to start but its a page turner after 4 chapters and the ending is one which you will not guess.... its a good first novel
February 8, 2014
'I plagiarized this book from myself' is a mixed bag. On the one hand there are some solid observations and quotable dialogue, as well as some intriguing quasi-horror set-pieces. On the other hand, the author's insertion of himself into the work -- problematic even for such renowned writers as Stephen King -- is very jarring in drawing attention to the fact that you are, indeed, reading a piece of fiction. The 'Dark Tower' series, at least, did not dwell overlong on the 'Stephen King as a character' plot device, but in 'I plagiarized this book from myself', it's a major plot point and there's no overlooking it; nor, consequently, is it easy to suspend disbelief.
The plot primarily concerns two men, ostensibly unconnected, attempting to unravel two mysteries: the first is a shelf-stacking aspiring novelist whose sole literary achievement is a single page of prose. The second is a private detective looking into the ten-year disappearance of a child, who has since returned and become plagued with night terrors.
The Northern Ireland setting appears at first to be modern day, although as the story progresses there are hints both overt and subtle that this is more of a near-future setting. This is made readily apparent in the finale, which for obvious reasons, I won't elaborate upon.
Of the two protagonists, the private detective, Kirk Mittelmark, is the more intriguing, perhaps due to the naturally engaging nature of his work. Kirk has a solid background passage which explains the sceptical and analytic approach he has to his work, as he looks into the case of a murdered girl in place called 'Dunwich' (which put me in mind, whether a deliberate reference or not, of the HP Lovecraft story 'the Dunwich Horror') and looks past the vaguely supernatural to find the truth in the mundane. In fact, I found Mittelmark's backstory the best part of the book, a brief but entertaining (and mysterious) foray into his past as a private detective.
The other protagonist, a man named Will Nicholl, ekes out an existence as a shelf-stacker whilst harbouring dreams of being a writer. The only problem is that he's only written a single page. This problem is compounded when he finds a mostly blank book sitting in a bookshop. The book has only a single page of writing, which is, verbatim, Will's original prose. Will sets out to discover who has plagiarized his book, and why.
The novel is at its most effective when dealing with the case of the abducted boy and his 'night terrors', which appear to have a connection to a short story that a man named Boyd Jamison (the author of 'I plagiarized this book from myself') published many years earlier. In the surreal passages dealing with the boy's experiences, Mr. Jamison evokes a strong sense of the unreal and an unsettling tone throughout, which is effective at ramping up the bizarre sense of dislocation and disquiet.
The book is less successful in its self-referential use of the author himself, as mentioned earlier. I personally believe it impossible for an author to successfully insert a fictionalised version of him- or herself into his work without making it too self-aggrandising, or else too much of a conscious exercise in self-deprecation. Indeed, the fictionalised Boyd Jamison is used to the point of overindulgence, particularly in a lengthy 'interview' conducted with the author wherein he details his inspirations and literary beliefs.
The ending is a tad jarring, coming, to my mind, too much out of left field and with insufficient set-up or explanation for some of its more far-fetched conceits. Without giving anything away, the departure from the earlier tone of the book results in a radical genre shift, and it's difficult to reconcile what has come earlier with the twisty-turny events of the finale. One of the two protagonists also commits an act which I found to be shockingly uncharacteristic, given his previous motivations and personality traits, and the rationale behind the mystery's chief architect stretches plausibility to breaking point.
'I plagiarized this book from myself' is a solid first effort from its author with some standout moments, but these are tempered by some unfortunate plot decisions and a finale that may well leave the reader bewildered and unfulfilled. That said, it held my attention to the end, and anyone who enjoys a decent mystery should check it out.
The plot primarily concerns two men, ostensibly unconnected, attempting to unravel two mysteries: the first is a shelf-stacking aspiring novelist whose sole literary achievement is a single page of prose. The second is a private detective looking into the ten-year disappearance of a child, who has since returned and become plagued with night terrors.
The Northern Ireland setting appears at first to be modern day, although as the story progresses there are hints both overt and subtle that this is more of a near-future setting. This is made readily apparent in the finale, which for obvious reasons, I won't elaborate upon.
Of the two protagonists, the private detective, Kirk Mittelmark, is the more intriguing, perhaps due to the naturally engaging nature of his work. Kirk has a solid background passage which explains the sceptical and analytic approach he has to his work, as he looks into the case of a murdered girl in place called 'Dunwich' (which put me in mind, whether a deliberate reference or not, of the HP Lovecraft story 'the Dunwich Horror') and looks past the vaguely supernatural to find the truth in the mundane. In fact, I found Mittelmark's backstory the best part of the book, a brief but entertaining (and mysterious) foray into his past as a private detective.
The other protagonist, a man named Will Nicholl, ekes out an existence as a shelf-stacker whilst harbouring dreams of being a writer. The only problem is that he's only written a single page. This problem is compounded when he finds a mostly blank book sitting in a bookshop. The book has only a single page of writing, which is, verbatim, Will's original prose. Will sets out to discover who has plagiarized his book, and why.
The novel is at its most effective when dealing with the case of the abducted boy and his 'night terrors', which appear to have a connection to a short story that a man named Boyd Jamison (the author of 'I plagiarized this book from myself') published many years earlier. In the surreal passages dealing with the boy's experiences, Mr. Jamison evokes a strong sense of the unreal and an unsettling tone throughout, which is effective at ramping up the bizarre sense of dislocation and disquiet.
The book is less successful in its self-referential use of the author himself, as mentioned earlier. I personally believe it impossible for an author to successfully insert a fictionalised version of him- or herself into his work without making it too self-aggrandising, or else too much of a conscious exercise in self-deprecation. Indeed, the fictionalised Boyd Jamison is used to the point of overindulgence, particularly in a lengthy 'interview' conducted with the author wherein he details his inspirations and literary beliefs.
The ending is a tad jarring, coming, to my mind, too much out of left field and with insufficient set-up or explanation for some of its more far-fetched conceits. Without giving anything away, the departure from the earlier tone of the book results in a radical genre shift, and it's difficult to reconcile what has come earlier with the twisty-turny events of the finale. One of the two protagonists also commits an act which I found to be shockingly uncharacteristic, given his previous motivations and personality traits, and the rationale behind the mystery's chief architect stretches plausibility to breaking point.
'I plagiarized this book from myself' is a solid first effort from its author with some standout moments, but these are tempered by some unfortunate plot decisions and a finale that may well leave the reader bewildered and unfulfilled. That said, it held my attention to the end, and anyone who enjoys a decent mystery should check it out.
August 26, 2014
Let me first say I really wasn't quite sure about this book in the beginning. For whatever reason, the title didn't draw me in and I hesitated a little about reading this book. That being said, once I started reading it, I was quite intrigued.
Will, an aspiring author who has only written a page in his entire life, and works at a meaningless job to make ends meet, has his whole life turned upside down when he finds 'the book'. This book is completely empty except for a single page, which is the exact page that he had written.
Will is mad and frustrated that someone has somehow manage to steal his one page of work. He first tries to get rid of the book, but he is unable to accomplish that task, so next he sets off to get revenge and the royalties that he is due.
As we are introduced to different characters, we start to see some connections be made. The introduction of the PI Kirk, was by far more interesting and intriguing than the main character. I really enjoyed the back story on the PI and feel his brief story has the potential for a completely different novel.
The way the story turns out, and I won't tell you as I don't want to spoil the ending for you, is a quite interesting turn of events. What is discovered is something that I did not see coming at all and wouldn't have even guessed. It is not too often that I am unable to figure out the book or at least come close.
The ending left quite an opening for a continuation so it will be interesting to see if and how the book continues in a second installment.
Will, an aspiring author who has only written a page in his entire life, and works at a meaningless job to make ends meet, has his whole life turned upside down when he finds 'the book'. This book is completely empty except for a single page, which is the exact page that he had written.
Will is mad and frustrated that someone has somehow manage to steal his one page of work. He first tries to get rid of the book, but he is unable to accomplish that task, so next he sets off to get revenge and the royalties that he is due.
As we are introduced to different characters, we start to see some connections be made. The introduction of the PI Kirk, was by far more interesting and intriguing than the main character. I really enjoyed the back story on the PI and feel his brief story has the potential for a completely different novel.
The way the story turns out, and I won't tell you as I don't want to spoil the ending for you, is a quite interesting turn of events. What is discovered is something that I did not see coming at all and wouldn't have even guessed. It is not too often that I am unable to figure out the book or at least come close.
The ending left quite an opening for a continuation so it will be interesting to see if and how the book continues in a second installment.
November 11, 2014
This story is like a visit to the Twilight Zone. It starts with Will, a grocery stocker, who wants to be a writer. He steals a leather bound from a bookstore which only has one written page, the one HE wrote on his laptop. With his curiosity and temper stoked, he seeks out the plagiarizer and publisher to claim his work. As the plot expands, he discovers that his lover is his cloned sister, his cloned brother is the publisher, and his father is the author/plagiarizer Boyd Jamison. Did I mention this all happens in the future? The real Boyd Jamison writes an entertaining, albeit conflicted tale that's certainly worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews