The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous. But neither, in my experience, do we ever reach a plane of detachment regarding our parents, however wise and old we may become. To pretend otherwise is to cheat.

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

There is a terrible alienation in the ordinary man between what he is being told and what he secretly believes.

Luck's just another word for destiny... either you make your own or you're screwed.

Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.

People who've had very unhappy childhoods are pretty good at inventing themselves. If nobody invents you for yourself, nothing is left but to invent yourself for others.

People are very secretive - secret even from themselves.