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 40
... Night's Dream aside , and opened the door to listen to the night outside , advancing cautiously down the steps into the cloistered quadrangle . Looking up from the stone enclosure , he could see the sky full of innumerable trembling ...
... Night's Dream aside , and opened the door to listen to the night outside , advancing cautiously down the steps into the cloistered quadrangle . Looking up from the stone enclosure , he could see the sky full of innumerable trembling ...
Page 128
... night and caught bronchitis , but both Christo- pher and Patrick had been provably out of College that night and obviously had nothing to do with it . Semple went home and with proper care presumably recovered health . John basked in ...
... night and caught bronchitis , but both Christo- pher and Patrick had been provably out of College that night and obviously had nothing to do with it . Semple went home and with proper care presumably recovered health . John basked in ...
Page 134
... night , " he had written , we came out of the Bull into the dark when Eddy had one of his boring fits of bravado , during which he keeps badgering one to dare him to do something . In the end I said : All right , Eddy , go into the ...
... night , " he had written , we came out of the Bull into the dark when Eddy had one of his boring fits of bravado , during which he keeps badgering one to dare him to do something . In the end I said : All right , Eddy , go into 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