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 207
... never see him throwing much money away , and he cadges a good deal . He'd cadge off anyone — he'd cadge off you , if you were fool enough to let him , and I'll wager he wouldn't pay you back . Oh , I've got no time for his sort . " John ...
... never see him throwing much money away , and he cadges a good deal . He'd cadge off anyone — he'd cadge off you , if you were fool enough to let him , and I'll wager he wouldn't pay you back . Oh , I've got no time for his sort . " John ...
Page 212
... never walked this way before , never in his whole life . Under the sour sky and occasional unwilling sun the streets seemed menacing : for five minutes he saw no damage at all , then all at once he saw a bombed house , nearly the first ...
... never walked this way before , never in his whole life . Under the sour sky and occasional unwilling sun the streets seemed menacing : for five minutes he saw no damage at all , then all at once he saw a bombed house , nearly the first ...
Page 227
... never would share . He knew the boy at his side would not have noticed them . " Tell me what you've been doing , " he asked , when they were settled at their table , his nicotine - stained fingers locked before him . John , recounting ...
... never would share . He knew the boy at his side would not have noticed them . " Tell me what you've been doing , " he asked , when they were settled at their table , his nicotine - stained fingers locked before him . John , recounting ...
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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