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
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... pushed his hands to the bottom of the pockets of his cheap blue overcoat. The lapels of it curled outwards and creases dragged from the buttons. His face was thin, and perhaps strained; the expression round his mouth was ready to become ...
... pushed his hands to the bottom of the pockets of his cheap blue overcoat. The lapels of it curled outwards and creases dragged from the buttons. His face was thin, and perhaps strained; the expression round his mouth was ready to become ...
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... pushed out to take lunch in the dining - car , but the others — two elderly ladies , a beautiful girl and an old clergyman who was reading and annotating a book - all sat on placidly . John had not travelled much before and for all he ...
... pushed out to take lunch in the dining - car , but the others — two elderly ladies , a beautiful girl and an old clergyman who was reading and annotating a book - all sat on placidly . John had not travelled much before and for all he ...
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... pushing towards a red bus, a glazed-brick public-house. A pony and cart creaked down the road, the man holding the slack reins, a bowed figure in the faint dusk. John looked about for colleges and old buildings, but could only see ...
... pushing towards a red bus, a glazed-brick public-house. A pony and cart creaked down the road, the man holding the slack reins, a bowed figure in the faint dusk. John looked about for colleges and old buildings, but could only see ...
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... pushed behind Eddy's chair . Even with the big fire and comfortable furniture , though , it was not a cosy room . John thought of himself reading a volume of essays in front of the hearth with snow falling outside , but in reality the ...
... pushed behind Eddy's chair . Even with the big fire and comfortable furniture , though , it was not a cosy room . John thought of himself reading a volume of essays in front of the hearth with snow falling outside , but in reality the ...
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... pushed a pile of magazines carelessly on to one of the shelves of the bookcase ; far away and near bells were beating the half - hour , the sound spreading mellowly through all the arches and stone traceries to John's ears . He bent his ...
... pushed a pile of magazines carelessly on to one of the shelves of the bookcase ; far away and near bells were beating the half - hour , the sound spreading mellowly through all the arches and stone traceries to John's ears . He bent his ...
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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