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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... seemed to be in College , and a photograph taken on the sunny lawn the following summer reminds me how much our daily exchanges were informed by Kingsley's pantomimes . In the foreground crouches Kingsley himself , his face contorted to ...
... seemed to be in College , and a photograph taken on the sunny lawn the following summer reminds me how much our daily exchanges were informed by Kingsley's pantomimes . In the foreground crouches Kingsley himself , his face contorted to ...
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... seemed interested . He must have accepted it unread , since the printer's objections appeared to take him by surprise ; our only meeting was in a teashop near Victoria Station to discuss this , when he assured me that to find yourself ...
... seemed interested . He must have accepted it unread , since the printer's objections appeared to take him by surprise ; our only meeting was in a teashop near Victoria Station to discuss this , when he assured me that to find yourself ...
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... seemed to quicken speed, plunging on with a regular pattern of beats. He looked from the window and saw a man with a gun entering a field, two horses by a gate, and presently the railway line was joined by a canal, and rows of houses ...
... seemed to quicken speed, plunging on with a regular pattern of beats. He looked from the window and saw a man with a gun entering a field, two horses by a gate, and presently the railway line was joined by a canal, and rows of houses ...
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... seemed hours before the porter exclaimed : " Kemp ! Kemp , are you ? Yes , room two , staircase fourteen . With Mr. Warner . That's you , sir , " he repeated as John did not move . “ Fourteen , two . " " Er - where ? —— " “ Founder's ...
... seemed hours before the porter exclaimed : " Kemp ! Kemp , are you ? Yes , room two , staircase fourteen . With Mr. Warner . That's you , sir , " he repeated as John did not move . “ Fourteen , two . " " Er - where ? —— " “ Founder's ...
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... seemed only natural that they should ignore him , he could not believe they were actually pointing at him amongst themselves and laughing together . Yet this was what it looked like . " Hurry up , kettle ! " fretted Elizabeth . He ...
... seemed only natural that they should ignore him , he could not believe they were actually pointing at him amongst themselves and laughing together . Yet this was what it looked like . " Hurry up , kettle ! " fretted Elizabeth . He ...
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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