John read the first 114 pages of a novel, which was 3 pages less than 1/3 of the novel.

[math_celebrity]

John read the first 114 pages of a novel, which was 3 pages less than 1/3 of the novel.

Let n be the number of pages in the novel. We have:
1/3n - 3 = 114

Multiply each side by 3:
n - 9 = 342

Using our equation solver, we get n = 351.