Jill: A NovelThe novel is set in wartime Oxford, the city in which it was written. Protagonist John Kemp is a young man from "Huddlesford" in Lancashire, who goes up to Oxford. With great sympathy it analyses his emotions at this first experience of privileged southern life (he had never been south of Crewe). Socially awkward and inexperienced, Kemp is attracted by the reckless and dissipated life of his roommate Christopher Warner, a well-off southerner who has attended a minor public school, tellingly called "Lamprey College". The eponymous Jill is Kemp's imaginary sister, whom he invents to confound Warner. Kemp then discovers a real-life Jill called Gillian, the 15-year-old cousin of Warner's friend Elizabeth. Kemp becomes infatuated with Gillian, but his advances are thwarted by Elizabeth and rebuffed by Gillian |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 3
Page 36
... Junior Common Room . A man was telling me you can get sherry there . " Then there was dinner in the big Hall , with rows of black- gowned students standing down the white tables while a Latin grace was read . During the meal John hardly ...
... Junior Common Room . A man was telling me you can get sherry there . " Then there was dinner in the big Hall , with rows of black- gowned students standing down the white tables while a Latin grace was read . During the meal John hardly ...
Page 53
... Common Room cellars were better stocked than those of the Junior Common Room ; he knew the offences for which men had been debagged in the past ; he knew where the ancient silver sconces had been sent in case Oxford was attacked from ...
... Common Room cellars were better stocked than those of the Junior Common Room ; he knew the offences for which men had been debagged in the past ; he knew where the ancient silver sconces had been sent in case Oxford was attacked from ...
Page 122
... Junior Common Room , where he sat down in a deep leather armchair and pulled out his battered packet of cigarettes . As he smoked he read an article in the newspaper about the promised British aid to Greece . Outside , in the Fellows ...
... Junior Common Room , where he sat down in a deep leather armchair and pulled out his battered packet of cigarettes . As he smoked he read an article in the newspaper about the promised British aid to Greece . Outside , in the Fellows ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
afternoon asked Banbury Road beer began bottle bread Chris Christo Christopher Warner Christopher's cigarette College Crouch d'you damn dark desk door drink Eddy Eddy's Edward du Cann Elizabeth empty eyes face feel felt fire fountain pen gave Gavin Bone girl glass grinned hair Hallo hands head Higher School Certificate Huddlesford Jill Joe Kemp John heard John Kemp 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 pher pocket porter pulled pushed remember seemed sherry glasses sitting smiled smoke sofa sound stared stood stopped street talking teacake Thank there's thing thought took town turned Tutor voice walked watched Whitbread window wondered