--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think of myself as a softy. I think the…" description: "\"I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct novels are very sentimental, and the cops are idealistic guys.\" — Evan Hunter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg" --- # I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct… ![“I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct novels are very sentimental, and the cops are idealistic guys.” quote by Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg) > “I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct novels are very sentimental, and the cops are idealistic guys.” [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hunter sees himself as a sentimental writer, portraying idealistic police in his stories. **In simple terms:** He writes with sentiment, showing idealistic cops. Key Takeaway Embrace empathy in storytelling, even in tough genres. Themes sentimentality idealism crime fiction characterization Mood thoughtful hopeful nostalgic Type literary reflective When to use this quote - writing crime novels - character development - genre blending - author self‑reflection Key Concepts humanism nostalgia moral optimism Questions to Reflect On - Can idealistic heroes resonate in modern crime narratives? - How does sentiment shape reader empathy? A Different Perspective Sentimentality may clash with gritty realism expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Novels Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-sentimental-1126534/) [Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimental/) [Sentimental Cops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimental-cops-1126530/) [Softy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/softy-1126533/) [Softy Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/softy-think-1126531/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Softy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-softy-1126532/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a giant softy, for sure, but I honestly think these days it's probably considered more masculine to be emotionally connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/i-m-a-giant-softy-for-sure-but-i-honestly-think-these-days-it-s/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [My dad is a little bit of a softy. I mean, he, like, cries at 'The Lion King,' and I'm kind of, like, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-hogan/my-dad-is-a-little-bit-of-a-softy-i-mean-he-like-cries-at-the-lion/) [Brooke Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-hogan/) > [I'm quite a softy, yes. I have a blank spot with respect to visual art, but I have perhaps a compensating hypersensitivity to poetry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-m-quite-a-softy-yes-i-have-a-blank-spot-with-respect-to-visual-art/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Americans are the nicest, most generous, and sentimental people on earth. Yet Americans have killed more unborn children than any nation in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/americans-are-the-nicest-most-generous-and-sentimental-people-on/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [I mean, I think I'm pretty sentimental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-mean-i-think-i-m-pretty-sentimental/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [Actually, my correspondent's language is better than mine. He can put his sentiment into words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/actually-my-correspondent-s-language-is-better-than-mine-he-can-put/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Citizens, thank you for all your birthday wishes. I am 88 years old today and still lucky to live in the greatest city in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/citizens-thank-you-for-all-your-birthday-wishes-i-am-88-years-old/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [It's my feeling that any writer can get an emotion into a story without being sentimental as long as the emotion is dealt with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baxter/it-s-my-feeling-that-any-writer-can-get-an-emotion-into-a-story/) [Charles Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baxter/) > [Without sounding overly sentimental about the process, I'd say trying to describe how you tend to conceive of a book is like describing how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/without-sounding-overly-sentimental-about-the-process-i-d-say-trying/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [Smell is a strange sight. It evokes sentimental landscapes through a sudden sketching of the subconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/smell-is-a-strange-sight-it-evokes-sentimental-landscapes-through-a/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Happiness is…tender puppy kisses on my nose...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-squires/happiness-is-tender-puppy-kisses-on-my-nose/) [Terri Squires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-squires/) > [“It was funny, she was thinking, how something that had seemed sentimental and important, and even more - almost sacred - could turn into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rona-jaffe/it-was-funny-she-was-thinking-how-something-that-had-seemed/) [Rona Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rona-jaffe/) > [There's a vintage which comes with age and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/there-s-a-vintage-which-comes-with-age-and-experience/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [The mind supplies the idea of a nation, but what gives this idea its sentimental force is a community of dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-mind-supplies-the-idea-of-a-nation-but-what-gives-this-idea-its/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) ## More by Evan Hunter > [“They'd taught him how to milk cows,and now they expected him to tame lions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/they-d-taught-him-how-to-milk-cows-and-now-they-expected-him-to-tame/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [“Do you condemn the kids for not having been blessed with I.Q.s of 120? Can you condemn the kids? Can you condemn anyone? Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/do-you-condemn-the-kids-for-not-having-been-blessed-with-i-q-s-of-120/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [My first wife kept calling me Sal, and I finally said to her, 'Why do you think I changed my name, honey? I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/my-first-wife-kept-calling-me-sal-and-i-finally-said-to-her-why-do/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [“They taught him how to milk cows and now they expected him to tame lions. Perhaps they expected him to behave like all good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/they-taught-him-how-to-milk-cows-and-now-they-expected-him-to-tame/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [It's hard to write an Evan Hunter novel because I really am starting from scratch. I'm assuming a new voice each time. The McBain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/it-s-hard-to-write-an-evan-hunter-novel-because-i-really-am-starting/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [When I started writing, most of the police department in New York City, especially above the rank of detective, were Irish, Irish-American. I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/when-i-started-writing-most-of-the-police-department-in-new-york-city/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [Sometimes I had three or four stories in a single magazine without the editor knowing they were all by me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/sometimes-i-had-three-or-four-stories-in-a-single-magazine-without/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [I only knew one thing about policemen: they were inhuman beasts. The problem was how to turn them into likable, sympathetic human beings. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-only-knew-one-thing-about-policemen-they-were-inhuman-beasts-the/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [Mystery fiction was considered a stepchild of literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/mystery-fiction-was-considered-a-stepchild-of-literature/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [I was a blond-haired kid with blue eyes, growing up in an Italian ghetto. I had a very high IQ. In elementary school, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-was-a-blond-haired-kid-with-blue-eyes-growing-up-in-an-italian/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [It's a matter of style. The Evan Hunter style and the Ed McBain style are very, very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/it-s-a-matter-of-style-the-evan-hunter-style-and-the-ed-mcbain-style/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [“I don't want to die," he thought. "I haven't lived yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-don-t-want-to-die-he-thought-i-haven-t-lived-yet/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) > [You just touch on things. You don't go round the room describing the furniture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/you-just-touch-on-things-you-don-t-go-round-the-room-describing-the/) [Evan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) [Explore all 14 Evan Hunter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct novels are very sentimental, and the cops are idealistic guys.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Evan Hunter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the-87th-precinct-novels-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the-87th-precinct-novels-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/evan-hunter-34839_books_i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the_888827.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think of myself as a softy. I think the 87th Precinct novels are very sentimental, and the cops are…” — Evan Hunter", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Evan Hunter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-hunter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think of myself as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the-87th-precinct-novels-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-hunter/i-think-of-myself-as-a-softy-i-think-the-87th-precinct-novels-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```