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 44
... Tutor this morning . " " What ? " " I - there's a notice - we've got to see our Tutor " Oh hell and damnation ! When ? " John thought he said " Where ? " and replied : " In his rooms , at eleven . " " I'm meeting some people at eleven ...
... Tutor this morning . " " What ? " " I - there's a notice - we've got to see our Tutor " Oh hell and damnation ! When ? " John thought he said " Where ? " and replied : " In his rooms , at eleven . " " I'm meeting some people at eleven ...
Page 45
... Tutor was a personal friend who insisted upon talking tediously about literature . John carefully concealed the pride he felt when he was able to say , yes , he had read this or that . The Tutor opened a tiny notebook , but just then a ...
... Tutor was a personal friend who insisted upon talking tediously about literature . John carefully concealed the pride he felt when he was able to say , yes , he had read this or that . The Tutor opened a tiny notebook , but just then a ...
Page 59
... Tutor , the day after , sent him a note asking him to be good enough to call on him . " Come in , Mr. Kemp . " The Tutor smiled kindly , keeping one finger in the book he was reading . " Sit down . I wanted to ask you if perhaps you'd ...
... Tutor , the day after , sent him a note asking him to be good enough to call on him . " Come in , Mr. Kemp . " The Tutor smiled kindly , keeping one finger in the book he was reading . " Sit down . I wanted to ask you if perhaps you'd ...
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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