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 26
... almost complete , only broken by the sound of a gramophone playing distantly . He wondered who the Founder was and who Mr. Warner was -perhaps he was a poor scholar , like himself . There were three staircases on the right - hand side 26.
... almost complete , only broken by the sound of a gramophone playing distantly . He wondered who the Founder was and who Mr. Warner was -perhaps he was a poor scholar , like himself . There were three staircases on the right - hand side 26.
Page 106
... wondered when Christopher would pay him back the pound he owed . He lacked the courage to ask for it . He was not wearing the bow - tie now , having looked gravely at it that morning and then put it away in his drawer , feeling ...
... wondered when Christopher would pay him back the pound he owed . He lacked the courage to ask for it . He was not wearing the bow - tie now , having looked gravely at it that morning and then put it away in his drawer , feeling ...
Page 178
... wondered . . . I wondered if I could get in for the second house- 99 " Good idea ! Good idea ! It's well worth while , eh , Eddy ? " " Damned good show , " affirmed Eddy , hiccoughing . He tried to repeat a joke that occurred during the ...
... wondered . . . I wondered if I could get in for the second house- 99 " Good idea ! Good idea ! It's well worth while , eh , Eddy ? " " Damned good show , " affirmed Eddy , hiccoughing . He tried to repeat a joke that occurred during the ...
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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