Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a novel, published in 1974, by John le Carré. It details a plot by the KGB to destroy 'The Circus' (British Intelligence), and the operation by its last hope, George Smiley, to save it.
On the re-arrangement of the circus [edit]
- George Smiley: Reason as motive, or reason as logic, or reason as a way of life? They don't have to give me a reason - I can write my own damn reasons - and that is better than the half-baked tolerance that comes from no longer caring!
- George Smiley: I'm surprised they didn't throw you out with the rest of us. You had all the qualifications for losing your job; good at your work, loyal, discreet.
On Other Spies [edit]
- George Smiley: I'm so out of touch, Peter - does Lacon have any particular titles these days?
- Peter Guilliam: ...Just Sir Oliver of the Cabinet office. You know how he loves being one of nature's prefects.
- George Smiley: Control died of a heart attack, after a long illness, throughout most of which he continued to work. Besides he hated South Africa. He hated everywhere except Surrey, the Circus, and Lords cricket ground.
- George Smiley: You featherhead, Martindale! You pompous, bogus, gossiping old featherhead.
- George Smiley: Roy Bland is not 'red brick.' He was at St. Antony's College, Oxford.
Miscellaneous [edit]
- There are three of them and Alleline.
-Repeated line
- Roy Bland: As a good socialist, I'm going where the money is, and as a good capitalist, I'm sticking with the revolution, because if you can't beat it spy on it.
Don't look like that George, it's the name of the game these days--you scratch my conscience, I'll drive your Jag.
