John le Carre Quotes

A collection of quotes by John le Carre.

John le CarrÃ©, born as David John Moore Cornwell on October 19, 1931, was a renowned British author widely recognized for his captivating espionage novels. He achieved international acclaim for his work in the genre, which often depicted the morally complex and morally ambiguous world of Cold War espionage.

Le CarrÃ©'s own experience working for the British intelligence service, MI6, during the 1950s and 1960s heavily influenced his writing. His novels, including "The Spy Who Came In from the Cold," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," and "The Constant Gardener," earned him a reputation for his intricate plotting, realistic characters, and his ability to capture the intense and secretive world of spies.

Throughout his career, le CarrÃ©'s works went beyond the traditional thriller genre, delving into more profound themes such as betrayal, loyalty, and the role of intelligence agencies in a complex and divided world. His novels garnered critical acclaim and a loyal readership, and a number of them were adapted into successful films and television series.

Beyond his literary achievements, le CarrÃ© was known for his activism and political engagement, particularly in his later years. He used his platform to advocate for various humanitarian causes, including fighting against global corruption and exposing unethical practices of powerful organizations.

John le CarrÃ© passed away on December 12, 2020, leaving behind a remarkable literary legacy that continues to captivate readers around the world.

If there is one eternal truth of politics, it is that there

If there is one eternal truth of politics, it is that there are always a dozen good reasons for doing nothing.

I was quite able at the insignificant work I did in MI6, but

I was quite able at the insignificant work I did in MI6, but absolutely dysfunctional in my domestic life. I had no experience of fatherhood. I had no example of marital bliss or the family unit.

More particularly, having a largely German-oriented educatio

More particularly, having a largely German-oriented education has made me very responsive to 19th-century German literature.

Education

In every war zone that I've been in, there has been a realit

In every war zone that I've been in, there has been a reality and then there has been the public perception of why the war was being fought. In every crisis, the issues have been far more complex than the public has been allowed to know.

War

I mean, I'm in the business of storytelling, not message mak

I mean, I'm in the business of storytelling, not message making.

Business

The Secret Intelligence Service I knew occupied dusky suites

The Secret Intelligence Service I knew occupied dusky suites of little rooms opposite St James's Park Tube station in London.

Intelligence

It's part of a writer's profession, as it's part of a spy's

It's part of a writer's profession, as it's part of a spy's profession, to prey on the community to which he's attached, to take away information - often in secret - and to translate that into intelligence for his masters, whether it's his readership or his spy masters. And I think that both professions are perhaps rather lonely.

Intelligence

My definition of a decent society is one that first of all t

My definition of a decent society is one that first of all takes care of its losers, and protects its weak.

Society

By the age of 9 or 10, I knew that I had to cut my own cloth

By the age of 9 or 10, I knew that I had to cut my own cloth and make my own way.

Age

Until we have a better relationship between private performa

Until we have a better relationship between private performance and the public truth, as was demonstrated with Watergate, we as the public are absolutely right to remain suspicious, contemptuous even, of the secrecy and the misinformation which is the digest of our news.

Relationship

But I think the real tension lies in the relationship betwee

But I think the real tension lies in the relationship between what you might call the pursuer and his quarry, whether it's the writer or the spy.

Relationship

Most people like to read about intrigue and spies. I hope to

Most people like to read about intrigue and spies. I hope to provide a metaphor for the average reader's daily life. Most of us live in a slightly conspiratorial relationship with our employer and perhaps with our marriage.

Hope

I worked for MI6 in the Sixties, during the great witch-hunt

I worked for MI6 in the Sixties, during the great witch-hunts, when the shared paranoia of the Cold War gripped the services.

War

A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream populatio

A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream population. He steals his experience through bribes and reconstructs it.

Experience

During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't

During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.

War

Novelists are not equipped to make a movie, in my opinion. T

Novelists are not equipped to make a movie, in my opinion. They make their own movie when they write: they're casting, they're dressing the scene, they're working out where the energy of the scene is coming from and they're also relying tremendously on the creative imagination of the reader.

Imagination

I don't know whether it's age or maturity, but I certainly f

I don't know whether it's age or maturity, but I certainly find myself committed more and more to the looser forms of Western democracy at any price.

Age

A committee is an animal with four back legs.

A committee is an animal with four back legs.

Committee

Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores an

Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.

Ideology

I don't think it is given to any of us to be impertinent to

I don't think it is given to any of us to be impertinent to great religions with impunity.

Blasphemy