“At 76, Mr. le Carré is snowy-haired, droll and courtly, speaking in perfect paragraphs and exuding the air of quiet privilege and distinguished manner of a retired statesman. If he chose to, he could still be producing crowd-pleasing books about his most famous spy, George Smiley, late of M.I. 6, or easing into a gracious old age of playing with his grandchildren, lunching at his club and resting on his laurels. But he is still sharp, still fizzing with ideas, and fueled by a new righteous fury.”