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 170
... thought of Christopher in his dressing - gown , legs straddling , his hand steadily working the razor and talking reflectively about what was going to happen , he knew with a sickening certainty that he could never sustain that position ...
... thought of Christopher in his dressing - gown , legs straddling , his hand steadily working the razor and talking reflectively about what was going to happen , he knew with a sickening certainty that he could never sustain that position ...
Page 201
... thought you knew all that . ' " But - she said- 99 " Well , she's only a kid , and didn't want to hurt your feelings . Really , you ought to have known .... I thought you knew how things stood . " Cold air from the door reached John's ...
... thought you knew all that . ' " But - she said- 99 " Well , she's only a kid , and didn't want to hurt your feelings . Really , you ought to have known .... I thought you knew how things stood . " Cold air from the door reached John's ...
Page 204
... thought his parents were dead , he believed it a little more . And it was all over now , settled one way or the other , and he did not know . How could he find out ? He longed for confirmation . The first thing he thought to do was to ...
... thought his parents were dead , he believed it a little more . And it was all over now , settled one way or the other , and he did not know . How could he find out ? He longed for confirmation . The first thing he thought to do was to ...
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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