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 |
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Page 78
... feel sufficiently secure himself to be over - considerate about the futures of others . " Yes , why not ? " " But ... feeling he now recognized to have been growing for some time : an indifference to Kemp and his career , and a desire to ...
... feel sufficiently secure himself to be over - considerate about the futures of others . " Yes , why not ? " " But ... feeling he now recognized to have been growing for some time : an indifference to Kemp and his career , and a desire to ...
Page 103
... feel affectionate towards him : he seemed so reckless , so aggressively unprotected . John himself carefully sipped a little : Lord ! His eyes filled with tears and he gulped furiously : it did not feel as if he had actually swallowed ...
... feel affectionate towards him : he seemed so reckless , so aggressively unprotected . John himself carefully sipped a little : Lord ! His eyes filled with tears and he gulped furiously : it did not feel as if he had actually swallowed ...
Page 241
... feel the rest of her . He could not feel her with his body at all . He hugged her harder , rolling desperately against her , but it was all nothing , he could not feel her at all . Everything was confined to the mouth and he would wake ...
... feel the rest of her . He could not feel her with his body at all . He hugged her harder , rolling desperately against her , but it was all nothing , he could not feel her at all . Everything was confined to the mouth and he would wake ...
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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