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
I grew up in a completely bookless household. It was my father's boast that he had never read a book from end to end. I don't remember any of his ladies being bookish. So I was entirely dependent on my schoolteachers for my early reading with the exception of 'The Wind in the Willows,' which a stepmother read to me when I was in hospital.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on a childhood devoid of books and the impact of external influences on one's reading development.
In this quote, John Le Carre shares a personal narrative about growing up in an environment where reading was not a valued activity. He highlights the absence of books in his household and the pivotal role that his schoolteachers, along with a significant childhood experience of being read to by a stepmother, played in shaping his early engagement with literature. This illustrates the importance of external encouragement in developing a love for reading, particularly when it may not be fostered at home.
Themes
EducationReadingBooksChildhoodInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in educational discussions about the importance of fostering reading habits in children.
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.
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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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