John le Carré

“Coming home from work is not the same as coming home from war.”

“A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.”

“Love is whatever you can still betray.”

“The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the dog's mat is a story.”

“It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies?”

“By repetition, each lie becomes an irreversible truth.”

“The secret services are the only real expression of a nation's subconscious.”

“Survival... is an infinite capacity for suspicion.”

“Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes.”

“To be a master of deceit, you must be a master of the truth.”

“A good writer is an expert on nothing except himself. And on that subject, if he is any good, he is endlessly fascinated.”

“In every operation there is an above the line and a below the line. Above the line is what you do by the book. Below the line is how you do the job.”

“We have to live with the consequences of our actions.”

“The spy who came in from the cold was the author.”

“Every writer is a failed actor.”

“A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.”

“Love is whatever you can still betray.”

“It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies?”

“By repetition, each lie becomes an irreversible truth.”

“Survival, it is called. A singular noun. It is what we have in common.”