‘There are always a dozen reasons for doing nothing,’ Ann liked to say – it was a favourite apologia, indeed, for many of her misdemeanours – ‘there is only one reason for doing something. And that’s because you want to.’ Or have to? Ann would furiously deny it: coercion, she would say, is just another word for doing what you want; or for not doing what you are afraid of. (Location 1120)
Perhaps Bill really is out of scale, he thought hopelessly, still grappling for a sense of proportion. Picturing him now, and putting him beside Bland, Esterhase, even Alleline, it did truthfully seem to Smiley that all of them were to a great or small extent imperfect imitations of that one original, Haydon. That their affections were like steps towards the same unobtainable ideal of the rounded man, even if the idea was itself misconceived, or misplaced; even if Bill was utterly unworthy of it. Bland in his blunt impertinence, Esterhase in his lofty artificial Englishness, Alleline with his shallow gift of leadership: without Bill they were a disarray. (Location 2202)
Note: a crucial bit, clearly. it’s possible to assume this is too much of a crux with an evident answer (the conclusion of the book) at the end of it, but in fact it poses the crux of the novel exactly:
is the culpable person either the one who seems to totally define all of the current regime, and thus sit outside it (to a certain extent - hence, or partly hence, smiley’s difficulty of grappling with his size).
or is the culpable person a decayed version of that ideal - decayed in a way that also includes betrayal?
might find in him completeness, Bill’s real trick was to use them, to live through them to complete himself; (Location 2208)
Note: the question posed in a different way. it is posed as a ‘parts to whole’ relationship. the ontology of character assessment, well displayed here, is ever shifting, contingent and contextual (totally contingent and contextual?)
it also represents the nature of hierarchies and cultural atmospheres within that organisation. to what extent and how do those at the top define the cultural mindset of an organisation - specifically through this part-to-whole relationship. it may not always be as clear cut as here, and in fact it isn’t here either - for reasons that are clear by the end of the book (ie they are tactical and to do with deception) but throughout are not clear within the book, Haydon has not used this ‘part to whole’ relationship to gain top hierarchical power - he doesn’t need to.
They were all of the same sort: half his age, bedraggled art school, clinging, surly; Ann used to say he had a supplier. (Location 2216)
Somehow we had to respond – I don’t think it’s ever realised how much the industry stimulates its own inflation – and in no time I became a kind of commercial traveller, flying off one day to a capital city, the next to a dingy border outpost – once even to a ship at sea – to sign up defecting Russians. (Location 2819)
‘For some reason, it hurt an awful lot.’ His eyes were still open but his gaze had fixed upon an inner world. The skin of his brow and cheeks was drawn smooth as if by the exertion of his memory; but nothing could conceal from Guillam the loneliness evoked by this one admission. ‘I have a theory which I suspect is rather immoral,’ Smiley went on, more lightly. ‘Each of us has only a quantum of compassion. That if we lavish our concern on every stray cat, we never get to the centre of things. What do you think of it?’ (Location 2870)
Note: Le carré is no mystic seer but what does this mean and does it have meaning?
himself a bachelor; the fatherless man who gives himself two children … Or the interrogator who projects himself into the life of a man who does not speak. (Location 2929)
Note: the failure of the TV series - this is a confession not a dramatisation, that is its electricity.
It’s odd to reflect that all the time he was looking at me, he could have been thinking of Gerald. I expect they’ve had a good laugh about it since.’ (Location 3016)
Note: lol business - I’ve started doing this in the last couple of years. tho the opposite is smug or snarky inference v
This was how it was going to work, said Jim. There’d been a change of plan. Max was to stay right out of it. He should drop Jim short of the rendezvous, then lie up in Brno till Monday morning. He was not to make contact with any of the Circus’s trade routes: no one from Aggravate, no one from Plato, least of all with the Prague residency. If Jim didn’t surface at the hotel by eight on Monday morning, Max should get out any way he could. If Jim did surface, Max’s job would be to carry Jim’s message to Control: the message could be very simple, it might be no more than one word. When he got to London, he should go to Control personally, make an appointment through old MacFadean, and give him the message, was that clear? If Jim didn’t show up, Max should take up life where he left off and deny everything, inside the Circus as well as out. (Location 3459)
Note: what’s interesting here is the stuff the TV company de used wasn’t dramatically useful was probably documentary/historical stuff by Le carré
‘So they shoot Jim from behind. Maybe Jim was running away, what the hell? They put Jim in prison. That’s not so good for Jim. For my friends also. Not good.’ He started counting: ‘Pribyl,’ he began, touching his thumb. ‘Bukova Mirek, from Pribyl’s wife the brother.’ He took a finger. ‘Also Pribyl’s wife.’ A second finger, a third: ‘Kolin Jiri, also his sister, mainly dead. This was network Aggravate.’ He changed hands. ‘After network Aggravate come network Plato. Come lawyer Rapotin, come Colonel Landkron, and typists Eva Krieglova and Hanka Bilova. Also mainly dead. That’s damn big price, George’ – holding the clean fingers close to Smiley’s face – ‘that’s damn big price for one Englishman with bullet-hole.’ (Location 3497)
