NP except circuitously; a metaphor branches; goes mainstream

[Paul Mackin]

On 1/15/2012 4:04 PM, Mark Kohut wrote:
> Thanks for this....did not know....
> You don't mean MI5, though..?

It was my understanding that MI5 is domestic, engaged among other things 
in catching spies in the home country, like the American FBI.  Le Carre 
had worked for the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), which RAN spies 
and had to deal with the possibility of double agents and moles, which 
is what Tinker, Taylor . . . involves.  Like the American CIA.

I could be wrong of course.

P



>
> *From:* Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
> *To:* Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>; pynchon-l at waste.org
> *Sent:* Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:46 AM
> *Subject:* Re: NP except circuitously; a metaphor branches; goes 
> mainstream
>
> Circus is another word for what in the U.S. is often called a traffic
> circle.  Le Carre's Circus is named for Cambridge Circus in Central
> London, fictional location of MI6.
>
> P
>
>
> On 1/15/2012 8:46 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
> > LeCarre's name for the Intelligence Agency behind it all is "The 
> Circus". Pynchon, others,
> > use the concept to describe the crazy acrobatics and performances of 
> (certain)
> > social realities. [ I cannot offhand remember an exact use of circus 
> in GR or ATD,
> > and am not going to check but I do remember Carnivale, an inexact 
> analogue is
> > in AtD.] In Confidence Men, Ron Suskind uses it to describe the 2008 
> campaign, "What
> > amazed Obama was how big the whole circus had become, and how fast." 
> [sic].
> >
> > I find in an article on Apple, 'the retail circus" .
> >
> > Below is the NYTimes today:
> > "Foreclosure Auctions Show Raw Form of Capitalism
> > 16 hours ago ... Foreclosure auctions have grown into a scruffy
> > economic circus where bargain hunters from around the world have
> > scooped up houses often sold ...
> > January 15, 2012 - By KEN BELSON - U.S."
> >
> > And, to stick the landing, I ran the word 'circus' through Google 
> Trends--
> > a mapping of use and voila (and interesting, imho)
> > http://www.google.com/trends/?q=circus&ctab=0
> >
> > Send in the clowns.
> >
>
>
>

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