My definition of a decent society is one that first of all takes care of its losers, and protects its weak. What I see in my country, progressively over these years, is that the rich have got richer, the poor have got poorer. The rich have become indifferent through a philosophy of greed, and the poorer have become hopeless because they're not properly cared for. That's actually something that is happening in many Western societies. Your own, I am told, is not free from it.
John le CarreDuring the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.
John le CarreIt's a principle of mine to come into the story as late as possible, and to tell it as fast as you can.
John le CarreThe longing we have to communicate cleanly and directly with people is always obstructed by qualifications and often with concern about how our messages will be received.
John le Carre