JillThe 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 35
... Lamprey School , but looked deferenti- ally at the etching while Christopher hung up three other pictures , two of which were Lamprey teams with Christopher represented . " That makes the place look more like home . I say , I'm sorry ...
... Lamprey School , but looked deferenti- ally at the etching while Christopher hung up three other pictures , two of which were Lamprey teams with Christopher represented . " That makes the place look more like home . I say , I'm sorry ...
Page 38
... Lamprey College " in thick Gothic letters , one of which John opened , his eye catching the words : Thus we see that in creating the character of Shylock , Shake- speare's original intention was deflected , and instead of a comic ...
... Lamprey College " in thick Gothic letters , one of which John opened , his eye catching the words : Thus we see that in creating the character of Shylock , Shake- speare's original intention was deflected , and instead of a comic ...
Page 53
... Lamprey College , and Lamprey's exact social status as a public school ( which was less high than John had imagined ) , he knew that the Senior Common Room cellars were better stocked than those of the Junior Common Room ; he knew the ...
... Lamprey College , and Lamprey's exact social status as a public school ( which was less high than John had imagined ) , he knew that the Senior Common Room cellars were better stocked than those of the Junior Common Room ; he knew the ...
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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 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