“She's become a Russian again, he thought. When something works, she's grateful. When it doesn't work, it's life.” — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“Her instinct was to defend, to hoard the treasures of her life, to build about herself the symbols of normal existence.” — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“It was from us they learnt the secret of life: that we grow old without growing wise. They realized that nothing happened… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
I was quite able at the insignificant work I did in MI6, but absolutely dysfunctional in my domestic life. I had no… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
Life was to be a search, or nothing! But it was the fear that it was nothing that drove me forward. Every… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
Once you've lived the inside-out world of espionage, you never shed it. It's a mentality, a double standard of existence. — John le Carre Copy Share Image
Most people like to read about intrigue and spies. I hope to provide a metaphor for the average reader's daily life. Most… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
“right…What do you do for a living, Smiley?” “After the war I was at Oxford for a bit. Teaching and research. I’m… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
We have learned in recent years to translate almost all of political life in terms of conspiracy. And the spy novel, as… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
“This is a war," Lemas replied. "It's graphic and unpleasant because it's fought on a tiny scale, at close range; fought with… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“He knew then what it was that Liz had given him; the thing that he would have to go back and find… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“These are true stories told from memory – to which you are entitled to ask, what is truth, and what is memory… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“They did this to me but I have remained who I am. I am tempered. I am able. Inside myself there's an… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“But she did not say it, she kept rigidly silent. Ostrakova had already sworn to herself that she would restrain both her… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“After a lifetime of living by his wits and his considerable memory, he had given himself full time to the profession of… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
What else has a journalist to do these days, after all, but report life's miseries? — John le Carre Copy Share Image
The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity. — John le Carre Copy Share Image
“You're history, Donohue. You think countries run the fucking world! Go back to fucking Sunday school. It's 'God save our multinational' they're singing these… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
The trouble is, when professional spies go out of their way to make a definitive statement about one of their own, the public tends… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves. — John le Carre Copy Share Image
“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.” — John le Carré Copy Share Image
The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
“and the wood smoke will roll out of the fireplace on to the carpet we paid too much for on that rainy afternoon in… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
“Middle children weep longer than their brothers and sisters. Over her mother’s shoulder, stilling her pains and her injured pride, Jackie Lacon watched the… — John le Carré Copy Share Image
