"If one book's done this well, you want to write another one that does just as well. There's that horror of the second novel that doesn't match up"

This quote by Mark Haddon speaks to the worry and stress and anxiety that numerous authors feel when writing a 2nd novel. It is a typical fear that the 2nd novel will not be as effective as the first, and this quote speaks with the pressure that authors feel to match the success of their first book. Haddon is recommending that authors must strive to write a second book that is simply as successful as the first, and that this is an uphill struggle. This quote speaks with the problem of writing an effective 2nd novel, and the pressure that authors feel to match the success of their first book. It is a reminder that composing a successful second book is an uphill struggle, and that authors ought to strive to compose a 2nd book that is simply as successful as the very first.