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 |
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... door: Bruce, on the other hand, simply stepped into a kind of kitchen, apologized to someone he found ironing there, and waited until the coast was clear. “When will you learn,” he reproved me afterwards, “not to act on your own ...
... door: Bruce, on the other hand, simply stepped into a kind of kitchen, apologized to someone he found ironing there, and waited until the coast was clear. “When will you learn,” he reproved me afterwards, “not to act on your own ...
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... door made him cram the rest out of the ventilator , noisily flush the unused water - closet and go back to his seat . His return might have been a prearranged signal : the shorter and fatter of the two old ladies said : " Well ! " in a ...
... door made him cram the rest out of the ventilator , noisily flush the unused water - closet and go back to his seat . His return might have been a prearranged signal : the shorter and fatter of the two old ladies said : " Well ! " in a ...
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... door talking to two young men . He was better dressed than John himself . " Don't tell me that . Don't tell me . That's what I was saying all last term . ” " Anyway , no one'll bother to do it , " said one young man languidly . “ No one ...
... door talking to two young men . He was better dressed than John himself . " Don't tell me that . Don't tell me . That's what I was saying all last term . ” " Anyway , no one'll bother to do it , " said one young man languidly . “ No one ...
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... door ( room number 2 was on the ground floor ) , but the fact that he could hear laughter and the sound of teacups coming from it . There were people there ! He listened , first at one door , then at another , but it was undoubtedly ...
... door ( room number 2 was on the ground floor ) , but the fact that he could hear laughter and the sound of teacups coming from it . There were people there ! He listened , first at one door , then at another , but it was undoubtedly ...
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... door , and was nearest the small lamp . " Oh , yes . " John put his three shirts into the corner of one drawer , hearing the sound of Christopher screwing up wrapping - paper , and looked about the bedroom . It was small , and held two ...
... door , and was nearest the small lamp . " Oh , yes . " John put his three shirts into the corner of one drawer , hearing the sound of Christopher screwing up wrapping - paper , and looked about the bedroom . It was small , and held two ...
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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