--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing mysteries lets me get away with…" description: "\"Writing mysteries lets me get away with murder. I think 'the mystery' may be the greatest form for social criticism, simply because it is pedestrian.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/gregory-mcdonald-61235_criticism_writing-mysteries-lets-me-get-away-with_2668290.jpg" --- # Writing mysteries lets me get away with murder. I think… ![“Writing mysteries lets me get away with murder. I think 'the mystery' may be the greatest form for social criticism, simply because it is pedestrian.” quote by Gregory Mcdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/gregory-mcdonald-61235_criticism_writing-mysteries-lets-me-get-away-with_2668290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/gregory-mcdonald-61235_criticism_writing-mysteries-lets-me-get-away-with_2668290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/gregory-mcdonald-61235_criticism_writing-mysteries-lets-me-get-away-with_2668290.jpg) > “Writing mysteries lets me get away with murder. I think 'the mystery' may be the greatest form for social criticism, simply because it is pedestrian.” [Gregory Mcdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sees mystery writing as a covert tool for social critique. **In simple terms:** Mystery critiques society. Key Takeaway Use genre to comment. Themes literature critique genre Mood creative critical Type advice observation When to use this quote - writing workshops - media analysis - activism Key Concepts social commentary subversion Questions to Reflect On - How to balance intrigue and message? - What audiences respond best? A Different Perspective Risk of being too subtle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Bullying Is Murder, Think Before You Decide To Bully Someone, Words Hurt More Then You Can Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taelor-chardae/bullying-is-murder-think-before-you-decide-to-bully-someone-words/) [Taelor Chardae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taelor-chardae/) > [“Surely if people knew what trouble it was to solve a murder, they would think twice about doing such a thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-butler/surely-if-people-knew-what-trouble-it-was-to-solve-a-murder-they/) [Erin Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-butler/) > [“If there's another writer, like Ross McDonald or Raymond Chandler, and all they're writing are mysteries, they won't be accepted," he said. "And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/if-there-s-another-writer-like-ross-mcdonald-or-raymond-chandler-and/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [Part of my motivation for writing mysteries for young people is that I loved mysteries when I was growing up, and now that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendelin-van-draanen/part-of-my-motivation-for-writing-mysteries-for-young-people-is-that/) [Wendelin Van Draanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendelin-van-draanen/) > [I came to writing mysteries through poetry and still think that a well-constructed mystery is very much like a well-constructed sonnet. Both are artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-maron/i-came-to-writing-mysteries-through-poetry-and-still-think-that-a/) [Margaret Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-maron/) > [“Did she make you laugh? Did she love you as much as you loved her? Did she protect you and warm you and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-krantz/did-she-make-you-laugh-did-she-love-you-as-much-as-you-loved-her-did/) [Judith Krantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-krantz/) > [I think mystery... allows us time to dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/i-think-mystery-allows-us-time-to-dream/) [Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/) > [A full understanding of what happens in our everyday lives needs to take into account what happened at the Big Bang. And not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/a-full-understanding-of-what-happens-in-our-everyday-lives-needs-to/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [If something controls you in a way that puzzles you, think of it as a mystery. Mysteries are best approached by closing your eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-siegel/if-something-controls-you-in-a-way-that-puzzles-you-think-of-it-as-a/) [Bernie Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-siegel/) > [I think mystery is kind of great. I don't know anything about Bette Davis or Katharine Hepburn or Ava Gardner - not really -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-think-mystery-is-kind-of-great-i-don-t-know-anything-about-bette/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [“For my part, I think that the mystery is always greatest where there is the most - emptiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-krantz/for-my-part-i-think-that-the-mystery-is-always-greatest-where-there/) [Judith Krantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-krantz/) > [When I think of mystery, I don't think about myself. I think of the universe, like why does the moon rise when the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/when-i-think-of-mystery-i-don-t-think-about-myself-i-think-of-the/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [ \[Star Wars is\] designed primarily to make young people think about the mystery. Not to say, 'Here's the answer.' It's to say, 'Think about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/star-wars-is-designed-primarily-to-make-young-people-think-about-the/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I think we're very much in a mystery here in this life and that artists try to pierce the mystery with their art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-think-we-re-very-much-in-a-mystery-here-in-this-life-and-that/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/do-what-intrigues-you-explore-what-interests-you-think-mystery-not/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) ## More by Gregory Mcdonald > [Writing is not a profession, occupation or job; it is not a way of life: it is a comprehensive response to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-mcdonald/writing-is-not-a-profession-occupation-or-job-it-is-not-a-way-of-life/) [Gregory Mcdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) > [Life is a horse: either you ride it or it rides you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-mcdonald/life-is-a-horse-either-you-ride-it-or-it-rides-you/) [Gregory Mcdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) > [“Even paranoids have enemies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-mcdonald/even-paranoids-have-enemies/) [Gregory McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) > [“Pardon my pants. I'm fresh from an axe murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-mcdonald/pardon-my-pants-i-m-fresh-from-an-axe-murder/) [Gregory McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) [Explore all 5 Gregory Mcdonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-mcdonald/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing mysteries lets me get away with murder. 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