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
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Page 125
... bread . Not that dry bread is a meal for a man who's had no food since lunch - time - but I was prepared , " Christo- pher said emphatically , " I was prepared to waive that point provided that the bread was forthcoming , so I sat down ...
... bread . Not that dry bread is a meal for a man who's had no food since lunch - time - but I was prepared , " Christo- pher said emphatically , " I was prepared to waive that point provided that the bread was forthcoming , so I sat down ...
Page 152
... bread and cheese and listening to casual talk among the scholars , some of whom were discussing the sinking of the Jervis Bay . He sat spellbound , holding his knife , his heart beating loudly . The sensation he had was of looking in ...
... bread and cheese and listening to casual talk among the scholars , some of whom were discussing the sinking of the Jervis Bay . He sat spellbound , holding his knife , his heart beating loudly . The sensation he had was of looking in ...
Page 206
... bread worked on steadily and imperturbably : his calm was encouraging : he worked exactly as John used to work at school . Outside , the clear November day clouded . John went to see if there was any post for him , but there was not ...
... bread worked on steadily and imperturbably : his calm was encouraging : he worked exactly as John used to work at school . Outside , the clear November day clouded . John went to see if there was any post for him , but there was not ...
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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