The Beatles' "Paperback Writer's" novel is based on a novel by a man named what?

A man named Lear, thought to be a reference to Victorian author and painter Edward Lear.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback_Writer

I don't care what certain online sites say, I have never believed that "Paperback Writer" was about Edward Lear. He was an artist and writer of nonsense verse -- best known for "The Owl and the Pussycat" -- not a "paperback writer."

I think this is an urban legend.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lear

The lyrics say Lear. They are written in somewhat of a playful mimicry of Lear's simple style.

Ask Paul!

The lyric is definitely "Lear" - please refer to the wikipedia url.

McCartney's choice of "Lear" is puzzling but Beatle historians theorise that it was included in deference to Lear's pioneering love of wordplay. Lear was a heavy influence on Lennon who had, around this time, worked on/just released his two books "In His Own Write" and "Spaniard in the Works". McCartney would have been exposed to Lear via Lennon and in a way, it's an in-joke and kind of indirect 'plug' for Lennon's solo literary endeavours.

Hope this has helped!

In a 2007 interview, McCartney recalled that he started writing the song after reading in the Daily Mail about an aspiring author, possibly Martin Amis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback_Writer