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 112
... walked on , the letter in his hand . The College nurse passed him wondering if perhaps he had just received some bad news . He did not see her . The traffic and people in the streets receded as he walked ; a column of soldiers whistling ...
... walked on , the letter in his hand . The College nurse passed him wondering if perhaps he had just received some bad news . He did not see her . The traffic and people in the streets receded as he walked ; a column of soldiers whistling ...
Page 193
... walked straight home , the noise and the wind and the hiss of tyres on the road bearing him up like martial music , walked home and sat in his empty room . But almost immediately he got up and went out again , too excited to sit still ...
... walked straight home , the noise and the wind and the hiss of tyres on the road bearing him up like martial music , walked home and sat in his empty room . But almost immediately he got up and went out again , too excited to sit still ...
Page 214
... walked to it . There was a note pinned to the door in his father's writing , saying they had gone to Preston , to the address of an uncle's house . He walked a few steps away , hardly knowing what he was doing , he was so thankful ...
... walked to it . There was a note pinned to the door in his father's writing , saying they had gone to Preston , to the address of an uncle's house . He walked a few steps away , hardly knowing what he was doing , he was so thankful ...
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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