Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (The Karla Trilogy, #1)

by John Le Carré

Out of date, perhaps, but who wasn’t these days? Out of date, but loyal to his own time.

At a certain moment, after all, every man chooses: will he go forward, will he go back? There was nothing dishonourable in not being blown about by every little modern wind. Better to have worth, to entrench, to be an oak of one’s own generation.