---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a very conservative element of…"
description: "\"There is a very conservative element of crime writers that don't recognise what I do is crime fiction.\" — John Connolly"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png"
---

#  There is a very conservative element of crime writers that…

![“There is a very conservative element of crime writers that don't recognise what I do is crime fiction.” quote by John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png)

> “There is a very conservative element of crime writers that don't recognise what I do is crime fiction.”

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Some crime writers cling to narrow definitions, refusing to see broader interpretations as crime fiction.

**In simple terms:** Crime genre can be broader than traditional views.

Key Takeaway

Embrace wider definitions of crime fiction.

Themes

genre definition creativity literature inclusion

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

analysis literary critique

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- literary criticism
- publishing meetings
- genre conferences
- author panels

Key Concepts

Literary theory genre fluidity authorial intent

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines crime fiction for you?
- Can broader definitions enrich the genre?

A Different Perspective

Traditionalists may argue that expanding definitions dilutes genre identity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crime fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-fiction/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Scandinavian crime fiction has become a great success all across the world and rightfully so. Sjowall and Wahloo ushered in a whole generation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/scandinavian-crime-fiction-has-become-a-great-success-all-across-the/)

[Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/)

> [Most crime fiction, no matter how 'hard-boiled' or bloodily forensic, is essentially sentimental, for most crime writers are disappointed romantics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-banville/most-crime-fiction-no-matter-how-hard-boiled-or-bloodily-forensic-is/)

[John Banville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-banville/)

> [There is sometimes a feeling in crime fiction that good writing gets in the way of story. I have never felt that way. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-sometimes-a-feeling-in-crime-fiction-that-good-writing-gets/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [The truth is that the writers who most influenced me weren't people categorized as crime writers. I'd say I learned more from John O'Hara,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/the-truth-is-that-the-writers-who-most-influenced-me-weren-t-people/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [I know a lot of crime writers feel very underrated, like they're not taken seriously, and they want to be just thought of as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hannah/i-know-a-lot-of-crime-writers-feel-very-underrated-like-they-re-not/)

[Sophie Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hannah/)

> [Alafair Burke is one of the finest young crime writers working today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/alafair-burke-is-one-of-the-finest-young-crime-writers-working-today/)

[Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/)

> [I feel more related to some American crime writers than I do to Stieg Larsson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/i-feel-more-related-to-some-american-crime-writers-than-i-do-to-stieg/)

[Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/)

> [My influence is probably more from American crime writers than any Europeans. And I hardly read any Scandinavian crime before I started writing myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/my-influence-is-probably-more-from-american-crime-writers-than-any/)

[Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/)

> [A lot of writers, especially crime writers, have an image that we think we're trying to keep up with. You've got to be seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/a-lot-of-writers-especially-crime-writers-have-an-image-that-we-think/)

[Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/)

> [The reason some crime writers have a chip on their shoulder about the label is because their good books are shelved beside books about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pelecanos/the-reason-some-crime-writers-have-a-chip-on-their-shoulder-about-the/)

[George Pelecanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pelecanos/)

> [TRIGGER CITY secures Sean Chercover's place as one of the best crime writers of his generation. It grabs you hard on the first page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-alexander/trigger-city-secures-sean-chercover-s-place-as-one-of-the-best-crime/)

[Tasha Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-alexander/)

> [Delaying and withholding tactics, red herrings, partial and doubtful outcomes are stock in trade for fiction writers, especially crime writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-disher/delaying-and-withholding-tactics-red-herrings-partial-and-doubtful/)

[Garry Disher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-disher/)

> [I'm always interested in what classic crime writers got into when they stepped away from the genre stuff they were known for. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-haynes/i-m-always-interested-in-what-classic-crime-writers-got-into-when/)

[Todd Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-haynes/)

> [“Crime writers, I've noticed, can be jumpy. They live in a world where there are murderers on the loose and they haven't been caught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/crime-writers-i-ve-noticed-can-be-jumpy-they-live-in-a-world-where/)

[Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/)

> [“We saved the lives of a whole family that night. Children, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, all sailed to safety in Sweden inside a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steen-langstrup/we-saved-the-lives-of-a-whole-family-that-night-children-parents/)

[Steen Langstrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steen-langstrup/)

## More by John Connolly

> [There is sometimes a feeling in crime fiction that good writing gets in the way of story. I have never felt that way. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-sometimes-a-feeling-in-crime-fiction-that-good-writing-gets/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [He had quite liked the dwarfs. He often had no idea what they were talking about, but for a group of homicidal, class-obsessed small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/he-had-quite-liked-the-dwarfs-he-often-had-no-idea-what-they-were/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [I'm a ghost," said the small figure, then added, a little uncertainly, "Boo?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/i-m-a-ghost-said-the-small-figure-then-added-a-little-uncertainly-boo/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“There is a price to be paid for everything, and it is a good idea to find out that price before you make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-a-price-to-be-paid-for-everything-and-it-is-a-good-idea-to/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“She was a round, curvy woman who, for Parker, brought to mind a figure assembled from a selection of soft fruits. Aside”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/she-was-a-round-curvy-woman-who-for-parker-brought-to-mind-a-figure/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“Prepare for the worst and you won’t be disappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/prepare-for-the-worst-and-you-won-t-be-disappointed/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“When Louis relaxed, it was an indication that a threat was at hand and he was preparing to act, as when an archer releases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/when-louis-relaxed-it-was-an-indication-that-a-threat-was-at-hand-and/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“The presence in the living room called to her, summoning her in a hundred voices and none, a great dissonant harmony alien yet familiar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/the-presence-in-the-living-room-called-to-her-summoning-her-in-a/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“Warraner would rather have been the king of nothing than the prince of something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/warraner-would-rather-have-been-the-king-of-nothing-than-the-prince/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“had been like wandering into the wrong carnival sideshow, the kind that left one feeling sick and slightly soiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/had-been-like-wandering-into-the-wrong-carnival-sideshow-the-kind/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“think you just like tethering goats.” “Well, be sure to tell me when your rope begins”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/think-you-just-like-tethering-goats-well-be-sure-to-tell-me-when-your/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“David could tell, by looking at her face as she read, whether or not the story contained in the book was living inside her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/david-could-tell-by-looking-at-her-face-as-she-read-whether-or-not/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“Before she came ill, David's mother would often tell him that stories were alive. They weren't alive in the way that people were alive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/before-she-came-ill-david-s-mother-would-often-tell-him-that-stories/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [“Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/stories-wanted-to-be-read-david-s-mother-would-whisper-they-needed-it/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

> [She was plump, with dyed red hair and a face so caked with cosmetics that the floor of the Amazon jungle probably saw more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/she-was-plump-with-dyed-red-hair-and-a-face-so-caked-with-cosmetics/)

[John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

[Explore all 232 John Connolly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/)

## More Conservative quotes

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [Progressive Conservative candidates from Quebec want to exert real power in Ottawa, not simply be content with playing a secondary role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-campbell/progressive-conservative-candidates-from-quebec-want-to-exert-real/)

[Kim Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-campbell/)

> [Play small ball. Get back to basics. I would say that you need to be a conservative, but you need to maintain your independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/play-small-ball-get-back-to-basics-i-would-say-that-you-need-to-be-a/)

[Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/)

> [I am a conservative type of person, so sometimes when I'm chilling with myself, people always come ask me, 'What's wrong with you? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-wonder/i-am-a-conservative-type-of-person-so-sometimes-when-i-m-chilling/)

[Wayne Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-wonder/)

> [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/)

[James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/)

> [I'm a principle liberty, rule-of-law Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-m-a-principle-liberty-rule-of-law-conservative/)

[Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/)

> [I would say I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, if that contradiction can make sense, because in Bolivia, we have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/i-would-say-i-m-a-fiscal-conservative-and-a-social-liberal-if-that/)

[Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gonzalo-sanchez-de-lozada/)

> [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/)

[Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/)

> [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood. It is just that the conservative people by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/there-are-a-lot-of-conservative-people-a-lot-of-moderate-people/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

> [“Those who consider themselves ‘Conservative’ frequently identify with family values, so they should consider carefully the fact that in 1960, only 18% of women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/those-who-consider-themselves-conservative-frequently-identify-with/)

[Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/)

> [A faithfully kept program of savings and conservative investments can give you more money and a better life than that of your neighbors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/a-faithfully-kept-program-of-savings-and-conservative-investments-can/)

[Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/)

> [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/)

[Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/)

> [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/)

[Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/)

[Browse all 2,995 Conservative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is a very conservative element of crime writers that don't recognise what I do is crime fiction.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Connolly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of-crime-writers-that-don-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Conservative"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of-crime-writers-that-don-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/john-connolly-1479_conservative_there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of_2276118.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is a very conservative element of crime writers that don't recognise what I do is crime fiction.” — John Connolly",
                "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": "John Connolly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is a very conservative element...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of-crime-writers-that-don-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-a-very-conservative-element-of-crime-writers-that-don-t/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
