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Harlan Coben

Right now I'm reading my very first Coben. It's "No Second Chance"

I have to say, right now, I'm luke warm. I'm about 150ish pages into the novel. The writing leaves me a bit cold. The prose isn't beautiful nor does it really convey to me the emotions that it should be.

On the plus side, the story is good. Lots of tension and plenty of mystery to keep me guessing what's next!

So far it's enjoyable but wholly average! :)
 
The thing with Harlan Coben is is that his writing isnt brilliant and he doesnt portray emotions and things very well, but the plot it UNBELIEVABLE and it keeps you up all night. No second chance isnt his best novel. I read it in one day. Go for 'gone for good'. I dont want to generalise with crime writers, but I find most of the writing is pretty average but the story (usually) is complex and detailed. Going against that, I have read a lot of crime books where both the writing and plot is brilliant. But yeah...
If you want me to tell you crime books like that, PM me. (I would write it now but im not near my shelf or book journal)


I have read:
No second chance
Darkest dear
One false move
One final detail
Just one shot
The innocent
Gone for Good
Tell no one

lani
 
Hi Wilderness. Thanks for reply to my post.

I read almost all of it in a day. I just finished the last few chapters this morning.

I agree with what you are saying. His writing isn't that great. He doesn't convey emotion at all and a lot of the characters are very wooden stock characters. However the plot was good and it did keep me interested with it's twists and it's turns. I will try another one of his books! I might try "Tell No One" next. I see you have read it. Would you say it's one of his better ones? A couple of my friends that like Coben have said that they didn't think "No Second Chance" was one of his best :)
 
noooo
dont read 'tell no one' next...it isnt one of his better books.
DEFINITLY go with 'gone for good' or 'darkest fear'

Let me know which one you choose, and how you find it.

Lani
 
Too late! :eek:

I started "Tell No One" and am very unimpressed! I think I am just gonna give it up. I know I have a few more of his in my TBR pile so will have a look see for the one's you recommend. If I have one of those will give it a go today! I'm determined to give the author a fair shot! ( that and I paid for them :rolleyes: )
 
wilderness said:
The thing with Harlan Coben is is that his writing isnt brilliant and he doesnt portray emotions and things very well, but the plot it UNBELIEVABLE and it keeps you up all night. No second chance isnt his best novel. I read it in one day. Go for 'gone for good'. I dont want to generalise with crime writers, but I find most of the writing is pretty average but the story (usually) is complex and detailed. Going against that, I have read a lot of crime books where both the writing and plot is brilliant. But yeah...
If you want me to tell you crime books like that, PM me. (I would write it now but im not near my shelf or book journal)


I have read:
No second chance
Darkest dear
One false move
One final detail
Just one shot
The innocent
Gone for Good
Tell no one

lani
Click to expand...

I think it was "Just One Look", not Shot. I liked "Tell No One". I don't think that any author bats .1000; there will always be a book or two that even fans think aren't very good. I think it has to do with contracts-you can spend a decade perfecting your first book and it knocks people's socks off; then you get a contract that requires, say, two books in three years and you're under pressure to produce something fast.
 
Read everything he's written and, in my opinion, his Myron Bolitar books are his best work. I've also exchanged emails with him a few times - a genuine guy by the sounds of it.

First Class Author!!!!!!!!
 
Hmmm I have to disagree :)

I'm sorry Coben fans, but I think I am going to give up on him. Gave him a good shot, but... I just can't go on!

WARNING - Rant in progress. Please stand well clear of the bunny

The two books I read were very samey! He seems to use the same things over and over and over.

For instance cops always lean on things.

To show fear: Heart beat is racing in the chest. Heart is thumping on his ribs. Heart is leaping to his throat. Heart is beating wildly. Same thing over and over. Find another metaphor please!!!

The novels seem very cold. He always tells in the simplest way instead of showing. "I was sad and lonely" that's all you get.

I know this is just me, I am very picky. A lot of the things in his novels seem extremely silly. He just writes implausible things and never explains them if they need to be explained.

A few examples:

in "No Second Chance" the cops suspect the main character of planning everything. This is plain silly. He got shot twice in the chest, once in the head, and was 12 days in ICU!!!!

In "Tell No One" They also suspect the main character that got beaten up not very origonal.

And silly things like Some bad guys say they bug the guys home and office. Errr how did they do this? Are they ninja? It's never explained. OK, I could buy that they have the skills to break into his house ( picking his lock ) and installing a physical bugging device without him knowing but what about his office? He is a doctor. They would have to get into the hospital. Find out where he works. Get past security. Somehow enter his office without his secretary seeing them and have enough time to dismantle his computer and install a bugging device...eerrrr NO!!!

OK... feel better for it now.

Now I shall run away before all you Coben fans come after me with burning torches :D
 
Wabbit said:
Hmmm I have to disagree :)

I'm sorry Coben fans, but I think I am going to give up on him. Gave him a good shot, but... I just can't go on!

WARNING - Rant in progress. Please stand well clear of the bunny

The two books I read were very samey! He seems to use the same things over and over and over.

For instance cops always lean on things.

To show fear: Heart beat is racing in the chest. Heart is thumping on his ribs. Heart is leaping to his throat. Heart is beating wildly. Same thing over and over. Find another metaphor please!!!

The novels seem very cold. He always tells in the simplest way instead of showing. "I was sad and lonely" that's all you get.

I know this is just me, I am very picky. A lot of the things in his novels seem extremely silly. He just writes implausible things and never explains them if they need to be explained.

A few examples:

in "No Second Chance" the cops suspect the main character of planning everything. This is plain silly. He got shot twice in the chest, once in the head, and was 12 days in ICU!!!!

In "Tell No One" They also suspect the main character that got beaten up not very origonal.

And silly things like Some bad guys say they bug the guys home and office. Errr how did they do this? Are they ninja? It's never explained. OK, I could buy that they have the skills to break into his house ( picking his lock ) and installing a physical bugging device without him knowing but what about his office? He is a doctor. They would have to get into the hospital. Find out where he works. Get past security. Somehow enter his office without his secretary seeing them and have enough time to dismantle his computer and install a bugging device...eerrrr NO!!!

OK... feel better for it now.

Now I shall run away before all you Coben fans come after me with burning torches :D
Click to expand...

*flicks a Bic* :D

I understand. I hate illogicism (is that a word??) myself. But for these books, I tend to let my pickiness take a break and just enjoy it. I do wish authors would take the time to explain how things are done, like the bugging. How is it that authors like Coben get away with not explaining it, while authors like Michael Crichton explain everything down to the tiniest detail and wind up boring me to sleep?
 
Yeah, I know it's party *my fault* I'm just very picky. I do it with movies too and rant on about it till people tell me to shut up and inform me that it's "just a movie" :D

Don't think Mr Coben is for me, but I can see how people like him. He has some fantastic ideas for plots. It's just those elements that I mentioned ruin to for me.
 
I'm picky too. The last two books I've gotten from the library I stopped reading before I was halfway through.

I don't know if I'm getting crochety in my old age or if the quality of books has gone down in the last 20 years or so.
 
New Myron Bolitar novel coming out April 25th!

hobs1.gif


I can't wait!!! I love all of Harlen Coben's books. Tell No One was the first one I read and finished it in a day or two. Then I went to the MB series, and have been disappointed because I thought he wouldn't be writing any more in the series. But I was delightfully WRONG!!! Yippee!
 
Well, I have read and very much enjoyed all of his stand alone books. The mysteries are excellent. Some I have not been able to figure out, and some I could. However, I think its his main characters that I really just Plain Like. For me liking or being able to empathize with characters is a necessity. I can get around plot "holes" or unexplained "bugging", or something like that. Mostly because I figure that there are people that know a whole lot more about planting bugs and getting into places they are not supposed to be than I do, so I basically accept that issue.

I have only read one or two of his Myron Bolitar series, but have more in one of my TBR stacks. I am glad he is writing more of those, but for me to appreciate them more, I expect I will have to go back and read them in order. Just one of my foibles. :)
 
Miss Shelf said:
I'm picky too. The last two books I've gotten from the library I stopped reading before I was halfway through.

I don't know if I'm getting crochety in my old age or if the quality of books has gone down in the last 20 years or so.
Click to expand...

This post made me laugh, Miss Shelf. I know exactly what you mean.
 
I've just finished reading 'Darkest Fear'; I've got mixed feelings about it. In my opinion it started off well, and ended well, but I felt that he was flagging in the middle and lost the plot a little. I do like Myron Bolitar's sense of humour though!

I think I also have 'Gone for Good' out from the library; I shall definitely give this a try before passing my final judgement on what I think of him as an author.
 
I havent read Harlan for almost a year now!! (been so busy with school and just havent had time...Also, I'm reading different authors)
But I ordered his new book and im really looking forward to picking it up when it gets in in a few days. Yay!!

Wabbit...I understand....:(...I'm just...a little...crushed.

Lani
 
Almost finished 'Tell No One'. This is the first HC book I've read and I am not that impressed so far.

I don't like the way he starts the book in the first person and every second chapter or so, changes to third person and then back to first again.

I like books written in the first person; you can get more involved with the character and from the authors point of view they are harder to write. But to switch from first to third is a bit of a cop-out from the author and does seems to make the story a bit to jerky, as though you are reading a movie script............but then maybe thats the idea since 'Tell No One' has been make into a movie. :rolleyes:
 
If you are looking for a fast, exciting read, Coben is definitely an author I would suggest (if you like mystery/suspense that is). He has a way of taking a real-life situation and making a complete, complex, and engaging story line from it to make it exciting for the reader ("Promise Me" is a great example).

Besides that, he is also a very funny author and has (usually) great characters. I've read 10 of his 14 and would recommend any of them any day.
 
I've read all his stand alone books. Just finished The Woods. :D

Only read one of the Myron Bolitar series.
 
Belphoebe said:
I haven't read any of his books yet, but I hear so much about him I want to start reading them :) What's the best book to begin with?
Click to expand...

One of the first stand alones I read by him was "Tell No One" and it hooked me on Coben for life!!

Terrific writer who ends with a twist, then after the first twist, he twists you one more time...
 
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