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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... thought of us . Already in failing health ( he died in 1942 ) , he treated us like a pair of village idiots who might if tried too hard turn nasty . The highest academic compliment I received as an undergraduate was " Mr. Larkin can see ...
... thought of us . Already in failing health ( he died in 1942 ) , he treated us like a pair of village idiots who might if tried too hard turn nasty . The highest academic compliment I received as an undergraduate was " Mr. Larkin can see ...
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... thought party politics should be suspended until the war was over . Sometimes he was the target of delighted laughter and violent abuse in the same evening and from the same people . I shared his convictions to the extent of visiting ...
... thought party politics should be suspended until the war was over . Sometimes he was the target of delighted laughter and violent abuse in the same evening and from the same people . I shared his convictions to the extent of visiting ...
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... thought that once he had found his rooms , he would always have a refuge , a place to retreat to and hide in . This was apparently not so . Who was Mr. Warner ? Perhaps he would be quiet and studious . The news upset him so much that he ...
... thought that once he had found his rooms , he would always have a refuge , a place to retreat to and hide in . This was apparently not so . Who was Mr. Warner ? Perhaps he would be quiet and studious . The news upset him so much that he ...
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... thought of himself reading a volume of essays in front of the hearth with snow falling outside , but in reality the windows were large and draughty and the room never became properly heated . The five of them were sprawled round the ...
... thought of himself reading a volume of essays in front of the hearth with snow falling outside , but in reality the windows were large and draughty and the room never became properly heated . The five of them were sprawled round the ...
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... thought he'd never notice , " gurgled Eddy Makepeace , drying his bulging eyes . " How damned funny . " Elizabeth Dowling burst into another peal of laughter . " And the exquisite way .... " She gulped , to strangle her laughter . " He ...
... thought he'd never notice , " gurgled Eddy Makepeace , drying his bulging eyes . " How damned funny . " Elizabeth Dowling burst into another peal of laughter . " And the exquisite way .... " She gulped , to strangle her laughter . " 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