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 14
... young man came down staircase three and paused on the bottom step . Norman instantly pointed his right hand at him in the semblance of a pistol and uttered a short coughing bark to signify a shot -a shot not as in reality , but as it ...
... young man came down staircase three and paused on the bottom step . Norman instantly pointed his right hand at him in the semblance of a pistol and uttered a short coughing bark to signify a shot -a shot not as in reality , but as it ...
Page 25
... young men . He was better dressed than John himself . " Don't tell me that . Don't tell me . That's what I was saying all last term . " " Anyway , no one'll bother to do it , " said one young man languidly . " No one in their senses ...
... young men . He was better dressed than John himself . " Don't tell me that . Don't tell me . That's what I was saying all last term . " " Anyway , no one'll bother to do it , " said one young man languidly . " No one in their senses ...
Page 218
... young man's need to speak without being over- much interested in what he was saying . " Of course , as soon as I get round to the garages a copper comes up and tells me not to be a b.f. The streets were all blocked - couldn't get a ...
... young man's need to speak without being over- much interested in what he was saying . " Of course , as soon as I get round to the garages a copper comes up and tells me not to be a b.f. The streets were all blocked - couldn't get a ...
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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