Attacking Quote by Dashiell Hammett
“What I try to do is write a story about a detective rather than a detective story. Keeping the reader fooled until the last, possible moment is a good trick and I usually try to play it, but I can't attach more than secondary importance to it. The puzzle isn't so interesting to me as the behavior of the detective attacking it.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, 1930
The author prefers focusing on the detective's mindset and methods rather than the mystery itself, treating the puzzle as secondary.
In simple terms: Detective's behavior matters more than the case.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize character over plot.
Themes
detective
character study
narrative technique
Mood
intriguing
analytical
Type
literary
character-driven
When to use this quote
- crime novels
- screenwriting
- character development
- detective games
Key Concepts
psychology
methodology
storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- How does focusing on the detective change the story's tension?
- What aspects of the detective's mind intrigue you most?
A Different Perspective
The mystery may still need a satisfying resolution for readers.
![“The detective story, as created by Poe, is something as specialised and as intellectual as a chess problem, whereas the best English detective fiction has relied less on the beauty of the mathematical problem and much more on the intangible human element. [...] In The Moonstone the mystery is…” quote by T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e7b/t-s-eliot-2-1761_detection_the-detective-story-as-created-by-poe-is_1679578.jpg)
