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 85
... morning , who did not get up till nearly twelve , when after a cold shower he went off to the Bull and Butcher for meat pies and beer and a game of darts with Patrick . John spent the morning working with a dreary persistence , while ...
... morning , who did not get up till nearly twelve , when after a cold shower he went off to the Bull and Butcher for meat pies and beer and a game of darts with Patrick . John spent the morning working with a dreary persistence , while ...
Page 105
... morning's incident . Half - way through , a crow of amuse- ment half - choked him , and he started to giggle ; by the time he finished the end of the story Christopher , tapping his square- faced ring against his glass , was laughing ...
... morning's incident . Half - way through , a crow of amuse- ment half - choked him , and he started to giggle ; by the time he finished the end of the story Christopher , tapping his square- faced ring against his glass , was laughing ...
Page 132
... morning just over a week ago , and fell asleep where he lay . On the next morning after breakfast he went out into the windy , sunny town and bought a large pad of 132.
... morning just over a week ago , and fell asleep where he lay . On the next morning after breakfast he went out into the windy , sunny town and bought a large pad of 132.
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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