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 41
... pher Warner , he slid out of bed and pushed the switch gently down , plunging the room into blackness which made Christo- pher's heavy breathing and occasional snorts sound terrifying to him . Whatever wretchedness he felt , crouching ...
... pher Warner , he slid out of bed and pushed the switch gently down , plunging the room into blackness which made Christo- pher's heavy breathing and occasional snorts sound terrifying to him . Whatever wretchedness he felt , crouching ...
Page 96
... pher would have done ( Christopher still lay in the blacked - out bedroom ) , but as he himself was up and not , after all , Christo- pher , he slipped on his big scholar's gown and walked out of the College into the busy streets . For ...
... pher would have done ( Christopher still lay in the blacked - out bedroom ) , but as he himself was up and not , after all , Christo- pher , he slipped on his big scholar's gown and walked out of the College into the busy streets . For ...
Page 125
... pher Warner , he could not be neglected ; one could not pass over these sporadic flowerings of violence . That night he was privileged to hear Christopher and Patrick ( chiefly Christopher ) relate the story to Eddy after dinner ...
... pher Warner , he could not be neglected ; one could not pass over these sporadic flowerings of violence . That night he was privileged to hear Christopher and Patrick ( chiefly Christopher ) relate the story to Eddy after dinner ...
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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