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 |
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Page 82
... asked a question in class , a momentary flash of panic came into his face , as he sought about his brain for the answer , caused by the fear he would not know , that he would be found want- ing . Indeed , Mr. Crouch forbore to ask him ...
... asked a question in class , a momentary flash of panic came into his face , as he sought about his brain for the answer , caused by the fear he would not know , that he would be found want- ing . Indeed , Mr. Crouch forbore to ask him ...
Page 179
... asked Patrick in an undertone . Patrick stared at him without replying with a con- temptuous grin . " Yes , you're all right , old boy ! Stalls left , seven and six . Forward seven and six ! You're lucky . First house was pretty near ...
... asked Patrick in an undertone . Patrick stared at him without replying with a con- temptuous grin . " Yes , you're all right , old boy ! Stalls left , seven and six . Forward seven and six ! You're lucky . First house was pretty near ...
Page 227
... asking him ? Of course , the war's mucked everything up . ' 99 John did not reply , and presently Mr. Crouch asked what else he had done , apart from working . The answers he received were not definite . John did not seem to have joined ...
... asking him ? Of course , the war's mucked everything up . ' 99 John did not reply , and presently Mr. Crouch asked what else he had done , apart from working . The answers he received were not definite . John did not seem to have joined ...
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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