Flush: A Biography

I loved this little book! Not only did I gain insight into what it might be like to be a dog, and I've had 14 of them so far in my life, but I learned so much about Elizabeth Barrett Browning and how Robert Browning saved her from a life that had oppressed her. Flush is the little spaniel given to Elizabeth by a friend. He shifts from running in broad fields chasing rabbits to languishing on the carpet in her bedroom, taking brief outings on a lead, getting kidnapped by the mid-19th century gangs, spirited away as she elopes with Browning and is exposed to the concept of prejudice...... What a fascinating tale. What a satisfying book!

With every confidence I missed nearly all of the feminist insight attributed to Ms Woolf in this volume by contemporary scholars and commentators, I simply read and enjoyed it on the level of “charming story.” Which it is. I gifted a bound volume to a second cousin who has enjoyed sharing her home with a vast library and multiple dogs most her adult life. I’ll see what she makes of it.

This is the first book I've read by Virginia Woolf. I found it delightful. I learned so much about Elizabeth Barrett Browning (the protagonist's companion).

This is an exhilarating and highly enjoyable model of near-perfectly written creative non-fiction. It's all about a pup named Flush. Don't sleep on Virginia Woolf. She was a true master of the English language essay and novel.

I had to buy 2 copies as only the title page turned up from my first purchase - l tried another edition and that was fine. My star rating is not for the book but reflects my annoyance at having to buy it twice. As for the book - not vintage Virginia Woolf but had some good moments. In particular I liked the passages where she tried to understand the problems encountered by Elizabeth's maid in adjusting to a foreign country.

I read this book as required reading in a V.Woolf course given by a brilliant lecturer.With his guidance I came to recognize and understand the brilliance of the author.It's a masterpiece and though the book is brief,it must be read slowly and savored as one would a beautifully prepared meal.

The novelette, short in pages, was a bit stiff at the beginning. But as I read on and got more into the character of the dog, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Surprising to me, I just wasn't picking up on the names since although I know of both Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, had not read much work of either poet. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading the book when I started watching an old movie (1934) on Turner Classic Movies. The story was sounding familiar - the title was "The Barretts of Wimpole St." And then I realized this was Flush's story, told a little differently from the characters' point of view instead of being Flush's story. Enjoyed the book and I would recommend the movie, also.

Although Flush isn't Virginia Woolf's most known book, you can be sure it is one of the best. Based on the love letters between English poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Woolf wrote the biography of their Cocker Spaniel, who was given to Elizabeth (when she was still single) by novelist and dramatist Mary Russell Mitford. This book is simply delicious!