“Put it this way, George,” he suggested, when he had savoured the night air for a moment. “You traveling on business, or for pleasure in this thing? Which is it? Smiley’s reply was also slow in coming, and as indirect: “I was never conscious of pleasure,” he said. “Or perhaps I mean: of the distinction.”
This book is a part of the Karla series by John Le Carré, featuring the character George Smiley. It delves into the complex world of espionage, with a narrative that intertwines personal and political conflicts. more
“The world lures people with its temptations and attractions, masking them with a cover of pleasure”
“Perhaps all pleasure in only relief”
“It is safer to beg than to take, but it is finer to take than to beg.”