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Flush: A Biography (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback – 1 Oct. 1998

by Virginia Woolf (Author), Kate Flint (Editor)
4.5 out of 5 stars 331 ratings
'I lay in the garden and red the Browning love letters, and the figure of their dog made me laugh so I couldn't resist making him a Life.' Throughout her career, Woolf invokes the animal world both directly and metaphorically. She started to write a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's spaniel after finishing The Waves, tracing the life of the spaniel from his country origins, his puppyhood spent with the writer Mary Mitford, through his sheltered existence with Elizabeth Barrett in her sick room, and later travels in Florence. But Flush is much more than a playful writer's holiday. As well as offering an exploration of a life of the senses free from the tyranny of words, Flush can be read as an allegorical testimony to the inscrutable, discarded, unrepresentable lives of the Victorian women poets, who were barely discussed or read in the 1930s. From a quite literally low point of view, Woolf explores class and gender in Victorian London, with gently mocking humour. Charming yet also radical, Flush is a work of sensuous imagination, an apparently light text that opens up a range of questions concerning difference which are woven through the whole of Woolf's writing.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Oxford Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    1 Oct. 1998
  5. Dimensions
    12.9 x 0.9 x 19.6 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0192833286
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0192833280
  8. Lexile measure
    940L
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford Paperbacks
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Oct. 1998
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ New
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0192833286
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192833280
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 134 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 0.9 x 19.6 cm
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 940L
  • Best Sellers Rank: 2,459,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 331 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
331 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book endlessly charming, with one mentioning it's an absolute joy from start to finish. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as well written.

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CharmWriting quality
5 customers mention ‘Charm’5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book endlessly charming, with one customer describing it as an absolute joy from start to finish.

"Charming and the only Virginia Woolf that I have liked." Read more

"...dogs (shocking, I know) but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this cute and absorbing novel about Elizabeth Barrett Browning's dog Flush...." Read more

"Wonderful book, beautifully bound, and absolute joy from start to finish...." Read more

"...The introduction was actually the most enjoyable part of the book though it was a slight handicap when it was pointed out where Woolf made mistakes..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Writing quality’4 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book.

"...It is well written but the truth is I couldn't care less. I managed 20 pages and then had to stop as I was so bored and irritated...." Read more

"...Woolf is a wonderful writer and this is a little more 'accessible' than her other novels. Beautifully written." Read more

"Wonderful book, beautifully bound, and absolute joy from start to finish...." Read more

"great book !" Read more

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  • Dallass
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great to slip into a pocket.
    Reviewed in Australia on 13 August 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is only my second book in this series. They are a fantastic option when you want something to read you can just slip into a pocket or purse, and this book sounded very intriguing. My only complaint is that none of the illustrations in other editions found their way into this book. Otherwise, a charming little book.
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    Dallass
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Great to slip into a pocket.

    Reviewed in Australia on 13 August 2021
    This is only my second book in this series. They are a fantastic option when you want something to read you can just slip into a pocket or purse, and this book sounded very intriguing. My only complaint is that none of the illustrations in other editions found their way into this book. Otherwise, a charming little book.
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  • alessandra cardarelli
    5.0 out of 5 stars Flush, il cocker
    Reviewed in Italy on 8 November 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Virginia Woolf non si smentisce mai! Il cocker di Elisabeth Bennet Browning si racconta e chi ha un cocker non potrà che riconoscerlo in lui. Libro delizioso
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  • Mashado
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you've just lost your dog, this book is for you.
    Reviewed in Canada on 21 December 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Beautiful and powerful short story. Felt like I had lived Flush's (and Elisabeth's) life after reading it. Highly recommend for anyone who has recently lost a dog, it will make you smile, cry, and remember the good times.
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  • Patto
    5.0 out of 5 stars A dog's eye view of a great love
    Reviewed in the United States on 17 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Virginia Woolf had an affinity for animals, and often gave people close to her animal-inspired pet names. She lived with many dogs over her lifetime, so it's no wonder she became enchanted with the personality of Flush, as described in the letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and chose to tell their love story from Flush's point of view.

    I'm not a great dog lover, yet I too fell under the spell of this emotional little red cocker spaniel. I was moved by his devotion to his poetic invalid mistress. I was amused by his snobbish pride on his pedigree. I suffered with him through his dreadful experience in the hands of the London dog snatchers.

    Flush has great sympathy for all the human emotions, and experiences his own doggie version of them. Woolf portrays him in the throws of love, jealousy, aversion, fear and exhalation. In the process we get a canine view of the great love adventure between the Brownings.

    Flush can be enjoyed for its sheer charm, or plumbed for deeper meaning. The fascinating introduction explores gender and class issues in Flush, as well as other radical themes.

    The introduction also includes some analysis of Woolf's other novels - all supporting the view that Flush is not merely a whimsical aberration in Woolf's output, but a serious, multi-layer work. Besides this excellent critical introduction, there's also a brief biographical preface outlining Woolf's life and a chronology of Virginia Woolf. So I would certainly recommend the Oxford World's Classics edition to get the fullest appreciation of Flush.
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  • Inés Ruiz Carrascosa García
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bien
    Reviewed in Spain on 14 August 2024
    Verified Purchase
     
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    Inés Ruiz Carrascosa García
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Bien

    Reviewed in Spain on 14 August 2024

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