A review by britineurope
Jill by Philip Larkin

3.0

A very hard book to review. Although it bears all the marks of Larkin's sharp yet lucid voice, the novel suffers somewhat from a lack of actual plot. Larkin himself knew that this would be ascribed to juvenalia however it is no less enjoyable for this, although there is a dearth of any real action, the struggles of the working-class hero in the unfamiliar territory of Oxford University is very well thought out. Larkin explores beautifully the heavy sense of duty that weighs on the protagonist and the anxieties and foibles he is subject to. The love story almost seems like an after-thought and at one part it seemed like Larkin simply wanted to exercise his formidable talents at creating a short story within a novella. Worthwhile if only for the sublime language typical of the author.