I began writing when I was still in the British Foreign Service, and it was then understood that even if you wrote… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
When you are brought up as a frozen child, you go on freezing. It wasn't until I had my four sons, who… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
The merit of 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,' then - or its offence, depending where you stood - was… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
If you're growing up in a chaotic world without reason, your instinct is to become a performer and control the circumstances around… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
I suffer from the same frustration that every decent American suffers from. That is, that you begin to wonder whether decent liberal… — John le Carre Copy Share Image
It's necessary to understand what real intelligence work is. It will never cease. It's absolutely essential that we have it. At its… — 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
