Jill: A NovelThe 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 21
... empty footbridges . It looked cold and deserted . The windows of the carriages were bluish with the swirls of the cleaner's leather still showing on the glass , and he confined his eyes to the compartment . It was a third - class ...
... empty footbridges . It looked cold and deserted . The windows of the carriages were bluish with the swirls of the cleaner's leather still showing on the glass , and he confined his eyes to the compartment . It was a third - class ...
Page 106
... empty , with the price still scrawled in pencil on the first blank sheet . He pushed it back into its place with a sigh . Christopher was out at the moment , to buy some cakes for tea : Elizabeth was coming , and as John remembered this ...
... empty , with the price still scrawled in pencil on the first blank sheet . He pushed it back into its place with a sigh . Christopher was out at the moment , to buy some cakes for tea : Elizabeth was coming , and as John remembered this ...
Page 134
... empty one during a day . Not like the miner's coal ! Do you remember how it used to burn down to that glowing mass - and do you remember how if you held a piece of paper over the long glass mantle of the lamp , it would burst into ...
... empty one during a day . Not like the miner's coal ! Do you remember how it used to burn down to that glowing mass - and do you remember how if you held a piece of paper over the long glass mantle of the lamp , it would burst into ...
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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 Hallo 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