Jill

Jill is Philip Larkin's first novel, originally published in 1946. A subtle and moving account of a young English undergraduate from the provinces, this portrait of Oxford during the war is now regarded by many critics as a classic of its kind. Michaelmas term, 1940. 18-year-old John Kemp has come down from Lan-cashire to Oxford University to begin his scholarship studying English. But when he invents an imaginary sister to win the attention of a rich but unre-liable 'friend', and then falls in love for real, undergraduate life becomes its own strange world. 'Absolutely contemporary - perhaps even prophetic.' - Joyce Carol Oates 'Remarkable . A book about innocence.' - Simon Garfield 'A cryptic literary manifesto [about] discovering a literary personality, and the consolation art can provide.' - Andrew Motion