All men are born free: just not for long. John le Carre More Quotes by John le Carre More Quotes From John le Carre The one thing you can bet is that spying is never over. Spying is like the wiring in this building: It's just a question of who takes it over and switches on the lights. It will go on and on and on. John le Carre building light goes-on What do you think spies are: priests, saints and martyrs? They're a squalid procession of vain fools, traitors too, yes; pansies, sadists and drunkards, people who play cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten lives. John le Carre cowboy play thinking I've never been able to write a book without one very strong character in my rucksack. John le Carre strong writing book The cold war provided the perfect excuse for Western governments to plunder and exploit the Third World in the name of freedom; to rig its elections, bribe its politicians, appoint its tyrants and, by every sophisticated means of persuasion and interference, stunt the emergence of young democracies in the name of democracy. John le Carre government war mean Cheats, liars and criminals may resist every blandishment while respectable gentlemen have been moved to appalling treasons by watery cabbage in a departmental canteen. John le Carre gentleman loyalty liars A good writer can watch a cat pad across the street and know what it is to be pounced upon by a Bengal tiger. John le Carre cat writing watches Survival...is an infinite capacity for suspicion. John le Carre infinite survival capacity I think that all writers feel alienated. ... I know that I do. ... I still feel, as I think most creative people do, absolutely isolated. John le Carre creative people thinking A committee is an animal with four back legs. John le Carre legs four animal The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous. John le Carre detachment childhood monsters When it comes to recruiting people for the secret world, what the recruiters are looking for is pretty much what I had. I was unanchored, looking for an institution to look after me. I had a bit of larceny. I understood larceny. I understood the natural criminality in people - because it was - it was all around me. And I have no doubt there was a chunk of it inside me too. Once I found that identity, it took root in me. It exactly - it gelled with the world that I'd known in the past. John le Carre doubt people past Love means having something to betray. John le Carre love-means betray mean Completing a book, it's a little like having a baby. John le Carre littles baby book A good writer is an expert on nothing except himself. And on that subject, if he is wise, he holds his tongue. John le Carre tongue experts wise I'm really a library man, or second-hand book man. John le Carre reading men book The pharmaceutical corporations are engaged in the systematic corruption of the medical profession, country by country John le Carre systematic vaccines country It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies? John le Carre spy It is also the pardonable vanity of lonely people everywhere to assume that they have no counterparts. John le Carre vanity lonely people Smiley was soaked to the skin and God as a punishment had removed all taxis from the face of London. John le Carre punishment london skins In the hands of politicians grand designs achieve nothing but new forms of the old misery. John le Carre misery design hands
