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 135
... seemed that he had never thought of her before . It was as if he had been talking to her from a public telephone - box , talking interminably , and then had looked up to see her listening in the next compartment , smiling at him through ...
... seemed that he had never thought of her before . It was as if he had been talking to her from a public telephone - box , talking interminably , and then had looked up to see her listening in the next compartment , smiling at him through ...
Page 213
... seemed utterly deserted here : here and there a house , a mere shell , would be standing , but on the whole it seemed like a city abandoned because of pestilence or a migration of humanity . Only a cat pushed against a front door ...
... seemed utterly deserted here : here and there a house , a mere shell , would be standing , but on the whole it seemed like a city abandoned because of pestilence or a migration of humanity . Only a cat pushed against a front door ...
Page 237
... seemed to go on for ever . John did not understand it , and had more sherry . " I say , is there a lavatory about here ? " he inquired , when the young man paused for breath . " Yes , on the next staircase . Turn right when you get ...
... seemed to go on for ever . John did not understand it , and had more sherry . " I say , is there a lavatory about here ? " he inquired , when the young man paused for breath . " Yes , on the next staircase . Turn right when you get ...
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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