In real life, coincidences happen all the time. In novels, they are leapt upon with fury.
Harlan CobenRead
Sure, on a larger scale, it was healthy to have people out there you cared about more than yourself. She knew that. But then there was the abject fear you would lose it. They say possessions own you. Not so. Loved ones own you. You are forever held hostage once you care so much.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Caring deeply for loved ones can bring both joy and fear of loss.
In this quote, Harlan Coben reflects on the duality of love and attachment. While having relationships that matter deeply can create a sense of fulfillment and health in one's life, it also comes with the fear of losing those individuals. The idea that loved ones have a grip on us reinforces the notion that emotional connections can create vulnerability, making us feel 'hostage' to the very bonds that enrich our lives.
Themes
LoveFearAttachmentRelationshipsLoss
In practice
Example use cases
A friend mourning the loss of a loved one might use this quote to express their feelings.
More from Harlan Coben
All quotes →The ugliest truth, in the end, was still better than the prettiest of lies.
Harlan CobenRead
When you like something and you're pretty good at it and you can make a living doing it, you don't ask why. You just count your blessings and go with it.
Harlan CobenRead
No, I don’t live in heartache. I don’t cry myself to sleep or any of that. I am, I tell myself, over it. But I do feel a void, icky as that sounds. And—like it or not—I still think about her every single day.
Harlan CobenRead
Life may not always fall into neat chapters, and you may not always get the satisfying ending you're looking for, but sometimes a good explanation is all the rewrite you need.
Harlan CobenRead
The most annoying and full- of- crap thing a writer says is, I write only for myself, I don't care if anyone reads it. A writer without a reader doesn't exist.
Harlan CobenRead
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