I began writing when I was still in the British Foreign Service, and it was then understood that even if you wrote about butterfly collecting, you used another name.
John Le CarreRead
When you are brought up as a frozen child, you go on freezing. It wasn't until I had my four sons, who have brought me immense joy, that I began to thaw. That I realised how utterly extraordinary my childhood was.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our past experiences shape who we are, but joy and love can lead to personal growth and healing.
This quote reflects the journey from emotional detachment, shaped by a challenging childhood, to a place of warmth and connection through the love of one's children. John Le Carre illustrates how parenthood has the power to thaw the emotional freeze that can occur from early life experiences, revealing the extraordinary nature of life and relationships.
Themes
ChildhoodGrowthParenthoodJoyEmotional Healing
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about personal growth through parenting.
More from John Le Carre
All quotes →In every war zone that I've been in, there has been a reality and then there has been the public perception of why the war was being fought. In every crisis, the issues have been far more complex than the public has been allowed to know.
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The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the other cat’s mat is a story.
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The monsters of our childhood do not fade away, neither are they ever wholly monstrous.
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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.
John Le CarreRead
If I had to put a name to it, I would wish that all my books were entertainments. I think the first thing you've got to do is grab the reader by the ear, and make him sit down and listen. Make him laugh, make him feel. We all want to be entertained at a very high level.
John Le CarreRead
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