JillA young man from Northern England struggles to find a sense of belonging at Oxford University during WWII in this “brilliant” novel by a literary icon (The Times). John, who’s never traveled far from his northern town of Huddleston, finds himself an undergraduate at Oxford University in 1940. A shy, insecure working-class young man, he is awed by his confident, careless roommate and yearns to fit in, clumsily pursuing a girl from a wealthy family. But as his efforts fail, he retreats further into a dream world in this early novel by Philip Larkin, who would go on to become one of the most celebrated poetic voices of postwar Britain. “Provides a revealing portrait of Oxford and the English class system as it existed during World War II . . . Mr. Larkin’s gift for using landscape as a mirror of an individual’s emotions is very much in evidence.” —The New York Times Includes an introduction by the author |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 54
Page
... began slowly crumpling downwards , fingers scoring the stonework . Just as he was about to collapse on the piled - up laundry , however ( Oxford laundries were at that time operating a system described by James Agate as collecting every ...
... began slowly crumpling downwards , fingers scoring the stonework . Just as he was about to collapse on the piled - up laundry , however ( Oxford laundries were at that time operating a system described by James Agate as collecting every ...
Page
... began an unclassifiable story called Trouble at Willow Gables, which Bruce and Diana Gollancz would come back to read after an evening at The Lord Napier. Possibly his brisk intellectual epicureanism was just the catalyst I needed. III ...
... began an unclassifiable story called Trouble at Willow Gables, which Bruce and Diana Gollancz would come back to read after an evening at The Lord Napier. Possibly his brisk intellectual epicureanism was just the catalyst I needed. III ...
Page
... began to eat a small picnic . Meanwhile the beautiful girl took out some coarse - looking rolls and cheese in silver paper , and even the old clergyman was crumbling biscuits into his mouth , with a handkerchief stuffed into his collar ...
... began to eat a small picnic . Meanwhile the beautiful girl took out some coarse - looking rolls and cheese in silver paper , and even the old clergyman was crumbling biscuits into his mouth , with a handkerchief stuffed into his collar ...
Page
... began in an even crosser voice , but broke off when he saw John . “ Yes , sir ? " John swallowed , and the two young men turned to look at him . " Er - I've just arrived - er - can you — er — my rooms▭▭ ' " 1 " What , sir ? " snapped ...
... began in an even crosser voice , but broke off when he saw John . “ Yes , sir ? " John swallowed , and the two young men turned to look at him . " Er - I've just arrived - er - can you — er — my rooms▭▭ ' " 1 " What , sir ? " snapped ...
Page
... began filling the kettle from the tap . " Come from Town ? " " From Huddlesford , " said John , not knowing that Town meant London . " Oh , yes . Good journey ? ” " Yes-- " He was acutely aware that the conversation in the room had ...
... began filling the kettle from the tap . " Come from Town ? " " From Huddlesford , " said John , not knowing that Town meant London . " Oh , yes . Good journey ? ” " Yes-- " He was acutely aware that the conversation in the room had ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
afternoon asked beer began bottle bowler hat Chris Christopher Warner Christopher's cigarette College Crouch d'you damn dark desk door drink Eddy's Edward du Cann Elizabeth empty eyes face feel felt fire fountain pen gave Gavin Bone girl glass gone grinned hair Hallo hands head Higher School Certificate Huddlesford Jill Joe Kemp John heard John Kemp John looked 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 pocket porter pulled pushed remember seemed sherry glasses sitting smiled smoke sofa sound stared stood stopped street suddenly talking teacake Thank there's things thought took town trying turned Tutor voice walked watched Whitbread window wondered