--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I read about a famous mystery writer who…" description: "\"“I read about a famous mystery writer who worked for one week in a department store. One day she saw a woman come in and buy a doll. The mystery writer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/amy-hempel-6636_writing_i-read-about-a-famous-mystery-writer-who_387955.png" --- # I read about a famous mystery writer who worked for one… ![“I read about a famous mystery writer who worked for one week in a department store. One day she saw a woman come in and buy a doll. The mystery writer found out the woman’s name, and took a bus to New Jersey to see where the woman lived. That was all. Years later, she referred to this woman as the…” quote by Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/amy-hempel-6636_writing_i-read-about-a-famous-mystery-writer-who_387955.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/amy-hempel-6636_writing_i-read-about-a-famous-mystery-writer-who_387955.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e47/amy-hempel-6636_writing_i-read-about-a-famous-mystery-writer-who_387955.png) > ““I read about a famous mystery writer who worked for one week in a department store. One day she saw a woman come in and buy a doll. The mystery writer found out the woman’s name, and took a bus to New Jersey to see where the woman lived. That was all. Years later, she referred to this woman as the love of her life. It is possible to imagine a person so entirely that the image resists attempts to dislodge it.”” [Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hempel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An obsessive fixation on a stranger can become an idealized love, persisting despite reality. **In simple terms:** Obsessive fixation becomes ideal love. Key Takeaway Question the reality of idealized attachments. Themes obsession idealization memory Mood melancholy thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading - unrequited love - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology of love subjective reality Questions to Reflect On - What does this fixation reveal about your own desires? - How can you differentiate genuine connection from imagined love? A Different Perspective May romanticize unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [It is possible to imagine a person so entirely that the image resists attempts to dislodge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hempel/it-is-possible-to-imagine-a-person-so-entirely-that-the-image-resists/) [Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hempel/) > [Just about everything significant in my life happened after I passed forty. I was a housewife and mother, but yearned to be a writer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/just-about-everything-significant-in-my-life-happened-after-i-passed/) [Pearl S. 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