John le Carré Quotes

British novelist and spy (1931–2020)

John le Carré is the pen-name of David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 1931 – 12 December 2020), who was a British writer of spy novels and a former spy himself.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: David John Moore Cornwell

Alternative Names: David Cornwell • John le Carre

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It is said that men condemned to death are subject to sudden moments of elation; as if, like moths in the fire, their destruction were coincidental with attainment.

If you see the world as gloomily as I see it, the only thing to do is laugh or shoot yourself.

I would say that since the war, our methods-out and those of the opposition-have become much the same. I mean you can't be less ruthless than the opposition simply because your government's 'policy' is benevolent, can you now?

I once heard someone say morality was method. Do you hold with that? I suppose you wouldn't. You would say that morality was vested in the aim, I expect. Difficult to know what one's aims are, that's the trouble, specially if you're British.

Intelligence work has one moral law - it is justified by results.

Jesus Christ only had twelve, you know, and one of them was a double.

Treason is very much a matter of habit, Smiley decided.

The most peaceble people will do the most terrible things when they're pushed.

Let's die of it before we're too old.

A dead man is the worst enemy alive, I thought. You can't alter his power over you. You can't alter what you love or owe. And it's too late to ask him for his absolution. He has beaten you all ways.

Look... we're getting to be old men, and we've spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another's systems. I can see through Eastern values just as you can see through our Western ones. Both of us, I am sure, have experienced ad nauseam the technical satisfactions of this wretched war. But now your own side is going to shoot you. Don't you think it's time to recognise that there is as little worth on your side as there is on mine?

He met failure as one day he would probably meet death, with cynical resentment and the courage of a solitary.

Spying is waiting.

"We've had enough." He took back the report and jammed it under his arm. "We've had a bellyful, in fact."
"And like everyone who's had enough," said Control as Alleline noisily left the room, "he wants more."

Love is whatever you can still betray.
Betrayal can only happen if you love.