--- title: "3 Detective Quotes By S. S. Van Dine" description: "3 Detective quotes by S. S. Van Dine. Plus more from S. S. Van Dine and more Detective sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/s-s-van-dine-52963_action_a-detective-novel-should-contain-no-long_1873462.jpg" --- > [A detective novel should contain no long descriptive passages, no literary dallying with side-issues, no subtly worked-out character analyses, no 'atmospheric' preoccupations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/a-detective-novel-should-contain-no-long-descriptive-passages-no/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/s-s-van-dine-52963_action_a-detective-novel-should-contain-no-long_1873462.jpg) > [It has long been a source of wonder to me why the leading criminological writers--men like Edmund Lester Pearson, H. B. Irving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/it-has-long-been-a-source-of-wonder-to-me-why-the-leading/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/s-s-van-dine-52963_book_it-has-long-been-a-source-of-wonder-to-m_2391240.jpg) > [Of all the criminal cases in which Philo Vance participated as unofficial investigator, the most sinister, the most bizarre, the seemingly most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/of-all-the-criminal-cases-in-which-philo-vance-participated-as/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/s-s-van-dine-52963_bizarre_of-all-the-criminal-cases-in-which-philo_2815798.jpg) ## Other authors on Detective - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-abramelin-keldor-26264.jpg) Abramelin Keldor 22 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/abramelin-keldor/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b020/author-raymond-chandler-77612.jpg) Raymond Chandler 11 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/raymond-chandler/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-nic-pizzolatto-70978.jpg) Nic Pizzolatto 10 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/nic-pizzolatto/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-agatha-christie-9726.jpg) Agatha Christie 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/agatha-christie/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-cary-fukunaga-2753.jpg) Cary Fukunaga 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/cary-fukunaga/) - [Kendric Neal 6 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/kendric-neal/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-arthur-conan-doyle-14897.jpg) Arthur Conan Doyle 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/arthur-conan-doyle/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-alan-bradley-10266.jpg) Alan Bradley 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/alan-bradley/) ## More by S. S. Van Dine > [Giving full rein to one's cynicism as one goes along produces a normal outlet and maintains an emotional equilibrium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/giving-full-rein-to-one-s-cynicism-as-one-goes-along-produces-a/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [There are few punishments too severe for a popular novel writer,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/there-are-few-punishments-too-severe-for-a-popular-novel-writer/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/there-simply-must-be-a-corpse-in-a-detective-novel-and-the-deader-the/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [A detective novel should contain no long descriptive passages, no literary dallying with side-issues, no subtly worked-out character analyses, no 'atmospheric' preoccupations. Such matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/a-detective-novel-should-contain-no-long-descriptive-passages-no/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [It has long been a source of wonder to me why the leading criminological writers--men like Edmund Lester Pearson, H. B. Irving, Filson Young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/it-has-long-been-a-source-of-wonder-to-me-why-the-leading/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [Only, as long as we're going insane we may as well go the whole way. A mere shred of sanity is of no value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/only-as-long-as-we-re-going-insane-we-may-as-well-go-the-whole-way-a/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) > [Of all the criminal cases in which Philo Vance participated as unofficial investigator, the most sinister, the most bizarre, the seemingly most incomprehensible, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-s-van-dine/of-all-the-criminal-cases-in-which-philo-vance-participated-as/) [S. S. Van Dine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-s-van-dine/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detective/s-s-van-dine/#itemlist", "name": "3 Detective Quotes By S. S. Van Dine", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A detective novel should contain no long descriptive passages, no literary dallying with side-issues, no subtly worked-out character analyses, no 'atmospheric' preoccupations. Such matters have no vital place in a record of crime and deduction. They hold up the action and introduce issues irrelevant to the main purpose, which is to state a problem, analyze it, and bring it to a successful conclusion. To be sure, there must be a sufficient descriptiveness and character delineation to give the novel verisimilitude.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S. S. 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