Jill: A NovelThe novel is set in wartime Oxford, the city in which it was written. Protagonist John Kemp is a young man from "Huddlesford" in Lancashire, who goes up to Oxford. With great sympathy it analyses his emotions at this first experience of privileged southern life (he had never been south of Crewe). Socially awkward and inexperienced, Kemp is attracted by the reckless and dissipated life of his roommate Christopher Warner, a well-off southerner who has attended a minor public school, tellingly called "Lamprey College". The eponymous Jill is Kemp's imaginary sister, whom he invents to confound Warner. Kemp then discovers a real-life Jill called Gillian, the 15-year-old cousin of Warner's friend Elizabeth. Kemp becomes infatuated with Gillian, but his advances are thwarted by Elizabeth and rebuffed by Gillian |
From inside the book
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Page 14
... afternoon when we were crossing the dusty first quadrangle a fair - haired young man came down staircase three and paused on the bottom step . Norman instantly pointed his right hand at him in the semblance of a pistol and uttered a ...
... afternoon when we were crossing the dusty first quadrangle a fair - haired young man came down staircase three and paused on the bottom step . Norman instantly pointed his right hand at him in the semblance of a pistol and uttered a ...
Page 165
... afternoon that Whitbread and he had been invited to tea at the Dean's house , so he idled about in his room , writing a letter to his parents , until it was time to set off . He had arranged to meet Whitbread in the College lodge at ...
... afternoon that Whitbread and he had been invited to tea at the Dean's house , so he idled about in his room , writing a letter to his parents , until it was time to set off . He had arranged to meet Whitbread in the College lodge at ...
Page 244
... afternoon , and try and pack them off as quickly as you can . " The Kemps arrived at the station just after half - past two that afternoon . As the nurse had suggested , they had been alarmed at the news that John was ill in bed with ...
... afternoon , and try and pack them off as quickly as you can . " The Kemps arrived at the station just after half - past two that afternoon . As the nurse had suggested , they had been alarmed at the news that John was ill in bed with ...
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon asked Banbury Road beer began bottle bread Chris Christo Christopher Warner Christopher's cigarette College Crouch d'you damn dark desk door drink Eddy Eddy's Edward du Cann Elizabeth empty eyes face feel felt fire fountain pen gave Gavin Bone girl glass grinned hair Hallo hands head Higher School Certificate Huddlesford Jill Joe Kemp John heard John Kemp John's Junior Common Room knew Lamprey laugh laughter leaving letter light listened looked round mind Minerva morning mouth never night noticed overcoat Oxford Patrick Patrick Dowling paused pher pocket porter pulled pushed remember seemed sherry glasses sitting smiled smoke sofa sound stared stood stopped street talking teacake Thank there's thing thought took town turned Tutor voice walked watched Whitbread window wondered