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 54
A Novel Philip Larkin. switching off the main light , so that the room was dark except for a pool of light from the reading lamp on the desk . John watched him unscrew his fountain pen and settle himself in his chair , like a man ...
A Novel Philip Larkin. switching off the main light , so that the room was dark except for a pool of light from the reading lamp on the desk . John watched him unscrew his fountain pen and settle himself in his chair , like a man ...
Page 61
... light came on in the Master's lodgings , but almost instantly a maid drew a heavy plush curtain across it , and there was no light anywhere . Christopher paused at the Lodge , where he found a postcard inviting him to play in a trial ...
... light came on in the Master's lodgings , but almost instantly a maid drew a heavy plush curtain across it , and there was no light anywhere . Christopher paused at the Lodge , where he found a postcard inviting him to play in a trial ...
Page 182
... light out , can you ? I can't be bothered . " For some reason this conversation gave John a sense of reprieve , and when he awoke in the morning he felt not despair , but happiness , his mood having changed overnight as the wind might ...
... light out , can you ? I can't be bothered . " For some reason this conversation gave John a sense of reprieve , and when he awoke in the morning he felt not despair , but happiness , his mood having changed overnight as the wind might ...
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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