Harlan Coben Quotes

A collection of quotes by Harlan Coben.

Harlan Coben is an acclaimed American author known for his thrilling and suspenseful novels. Born on January 4, 1962, in Newark, New Jersey, Coben developed a passion for writing at a young age. He attended Amherst College, where he studied political science.

Coben's breakthrough came with the publication of his first novel, "Play Dead," in 1990. Since then, he has written numerous bestselling books, many of which feature recurring characters such as Myron Bolitar and Windsor Horne Lockwood III. His works often intertwine crime, mystery, and family drama, keeping readers hooked with their unpredictable twists and turns.

Over the years, Coben's storytelling skills have been widely recognized, as he has received several prestigious awards for his works. Notably, he has been honored with the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award, all considered top prizes within the mystery and thriller genres.

Coben's novels have been translated into multiple languages, reaching a global audience eager to delve into his gripping narratives. Some of his most well-known books include "Tell No One," "The Woods," and "The Stranger," which was adapted into a popular Netflix series.

With his compelling storytelling, Harlan Coben has become a significant figure in contemporary suspense fiction, captivating readers with his intricately plotted and suspenseful tales.

I'm not a big sports fan.

I'm not a big sports fan.

Hope can be the most wonderful thing in the world or it can

Hope can be the most wonderful thing in the world or it can crush your heart like an eggshell.

The readers are the ones who let us live our dreams. I try t

The readers are the ones who let us live our dreams. I try to write books which are really compelling - that you'd take on vacation and rather than going out, you'd read in your hotel room because you had to find out what happened. Hopefully that's what readers are responding to.

What I want to do is tell stories about normal people in the

What I want to do is tell stories about normal people in the American suburbs. I don't write the book where it's a conspiracy reaching the prime minister I don't write the book with the big serial killer who lops off heads. My setting is a very placid pool of suburbia, family life. And within that I can make pretty big splashes.

Family

I wish i could tell you that through the tragedy i mined som

I wish i could tell you that through the tragedy i mined some undiscovered, life-altering absolute that i could pass on to you.I didn't.The cliches apply-people are what count,life is precious,materialism is over rated, and the little things matter,live in the moment-and i can repeat them to you ad nauseam.you might listen, but you won't internalize.Tragedy hammers it hm.Tragedy etches into your soul.You might not be happier.But you will be better.

Life Truth Tragedy Cliches

I can write pretty much anywhere if you give me time and som

I can write pretty much anywhere if you give me time and some quiet. The home is not usually the best place because I have four children. It's usually pandemonium around here!

Home

I wrote seven Myron Bolitar novels in a row, and I never wan

I wrote seven Myron Bolitar novels in a row, and I never want to write a Myron book where he just solves a crime. Every one of them I want to be personal, and I want him to grow and change. The problem with that is, it makes the series limited, you can't write a series where a guy is always going through some kind of crisis.

Change

Dreams never die. Sometimes you think they are dead, but the

Dreams never die. Sometimes you think they are dead, but they are just hibernating lie some old bear. And, if the dream has been hibernating for a long time, that bear is going to wake up grumpy and hungry

Dream

When I was seventeen, I worked as a counsellor at a co-ed sl

When I was seventeen, I worked as a counsellor at a co-ed sleep-away camp for eight weeks. I loved it but it could be harrowing - it was far too much responsibility for someone my age.

Age

'Caught' is a novel of forgiveness, and the past and the pre

'Caught' is a novel of forgiveness, and the past and the present - who should be and who shouldn't be forgiven. None of my books are ever just about thrills, or it won't work.

Forgiveness

If I'm not writing well, I'm not happy. If I'm not spending

If I'm not writing well, I'm not happy. If I'm not spending enough time with my family, I'm not happy. If I'm not connecting to friends or if I don't work out enough... You get the point. Everything has to be balanced. Nothing should be an extreme.

Family

Frankly I'm fairly boring or fairly busy. Between writing an

Frankly I'm fairly boring or fairly busy. Between writing and family, I have little time for anything else.

Family

The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible citi

The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible cities and wonderful suburbs. I live in the suburbs, the final battleground of the American dream, where people get married and have kids and try to scratch out a happy life for themselves. It's very romantic in that way, but a bit naive. I like to play with that in my work.

Romantic

I am very lucky that I get to tell stories for a living. I l

I am very lucky that I get to tell stories for a living. I love being able to grab people's attention, to keep them turning the pages, to make them stay awake all night. I want to stir the pulse, yes, but also to stir the heart. I hope 'The Woods' does that.

Hope

You can't have an up without a down, a right without a left,

You can't have an up without a down, a right without a left, a back without a front - or a happy without a sad.

Sad

I try to stress to my children that buying something never l

I try to stress to my children that buying something never leads to true happiness.

Happiness

I don't necessarily love the sports per se, I love the stori

I don't necessarily love the sports per se, I love the stories behind them. Also in a kind of perverse way I like to study what it does to us, why we care so much. It's caring about something that's utterly meaningless.

Sports

Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. I may joke abo

Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. I may joke about knowing fear, but the fact is, the first time I ever knew real fear was the day Charlotte, my first child, was born. Suddenly there is someone in the world you care about more than anything.

Fear

Make no mistake, adolescence is a war. No one gets out unsca

Make no mistake, adolescence is a war. No one gets out unscathed.

War

I'd never had money growing up, and it's never been that imp

I'd never had money growing up, and it's never been that important to me, except maybe to take our kids on a nice vacation or something like that.

Money