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I liked the NY Times obit better [0]. Goes a bit deeper into his troubled childhood, the fact that his father was a charlatan etc. A memorable quote from the ar

I liked the NY Times obit better [0]. Goes a bit deeper into his troubled childhood, the fact that his father was a charlatan etc. A memorable quote from the article is that his children gifted him a poster playing on the famous motivational one in World War II Britain, reading, “Keep Calm and le Carré on.” I think your legacy will carry on,sir. RIP [0]https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/books/john-le-carre-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/books/john-le-carre-dead....

Narretz 6y ago
I don't know if you knew this, but the "Keep calm and carry on" poster was rarely published in WW2 times: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On
- easytiger 6y ago
  In terms of language change, i wonder when the phrase "carry on" changed. Historically I've heard it often said to ones valet for example when one is done with them. Famously "Carry on Jeeves", but i'm sure it was very much used in this sense as a polite stoic dismissal to return to work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On,_Jeeves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On,_Jeeves Then the "Carry On" bawdy farce comedy Movies starting in 1958, double entendre laden as they are, implying the historical reference as well as the implication of horse play and frivolity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On_(franchise) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On_(franchise) And then in my lifetime in my part of the world it was vernacular for "messing around" or something that has happened which is very much unbecoming. Often my parents would say things of the type "You grandmother lost her glasses on the bus, it was a while carry on" or if children were being raucous, "Would you stop carrying on like that"
namdnay 6y ago
Regarding his childhood and father, one of his books is semi-autobiographical and digs into that side of his life
- vmurthy 6y ago
  From the same article : "“A Perfect Spy” (1986), Mr. le Carré’s most autobiographical work, tells the story of Magnus Pym, a double agent with a con man father modeled after le Carré’s own, and how the two deceive and are deceived by each other in an intricate skein of lies"
  - Applejinx 6y ago
    "A Perfect Spy" is a devastating, powerful book. I'm happy Le Carre survived his life better than Magnus Pym did. "A Perfect Spy" is truly a work of art.

Narretz 6y ago

I don't know if you knew this, but the "Keep calm and carry on" poster was rarely published in WW2 times: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Calm_and_Carry_On

easytiger 6y ago
In terms of language change, i wonder when the phrase "carry on" changed. Historically I've heard it often said to ones valet for example when one is done with them. Famously "Carry on Jeeves", but i'm sure it was very much used in this sense as a polite stoic dismissal to return to work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On,_Jeeves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On,_Jeeves Then the "Carry On" bawdy farce comedy Movies starting in 1958, double entendre laden as they are, implying the historical reference as well as the implication of horse play and frivolity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On_(franchise) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On_(franchise) And then in my lifetime in my part of the world it was vernacular for "messing around" or something that has happened which is very much unbecoming. Often my parents would say things of the type "You grandmother lost her glasses on the bus, it was a while carry on" or if children were being raucous, "Would you stop carrying on like that"

namdnay 6y ago

Regarding his childhood and father, one of his books is semi-autobiographical and digs into that side of his life

vmurthy 6y ago
From the same article : "“A Perfect Spy” (1986), Mr. le Carré’s most autobiographical work, tells the story of Magnus Pym, a double agent with a con man father modeled after le Carré’s own, and how the two deceive and are deceived by each other in an intricate skein of lies"
- Applejinx 6y ago
  "A Perfect Spy" is a devastating, powerful book. I'm happy Le Carre survived his life better than Magnus Pym did. "A Perfect Spy" is truly a work of art.