Consciously imitating Jane Austen in the opening paragraphs, Virginia Woolf exercises more self-control in this novel than in any other and the result is prose which is less self-indulgent, more lucid, less experimental, more precise if less adventurous than you might expect of this author. The given facts exert a narrative discipline and perhaps Woolf intended it as a book for children. Whatever, it is the product of a gifted writer not straining for effect, a model for young writers to imitate: not the final word on an animal's sensibility and the narrative excitement comes mostly from the Barret-Browning storyline: but an easy, enjoyable, well-crafted read.

I bought and read Flush with some scepticism. While I can't praise Virginia Woolf enough, I tend to shy away from animal stories. Flush, however, is the exception to the rule. My scepticism soon dissipated and I was thrown into a world more human than most written worlds. Flush is among the most sympathetic and beautiful character sketches I have ever come across. This is a very different book for Woolf and I couldn't be more glad that she took the chance to write something that seems so trivial. There is feeling of release in the way it is written, but it is not flippant. Rather, it makes the character of Flush that much more accessible to the reader.

I LOVED this book. It was recommended to me by my best friend after she read it, and, believe me, it was worth it.I had a lot of trouble finding the book, but that was OK. It was a fantastic storey, and I really thought that some of the paragraphs were beautifully written. I also have a red cocker spaniel, just like the one on the cover of the Penguins Classics series cover, and I found myself looking at my dog to see if the descriptions and facts given were right. They were. What was the most remarkable thing was that this book was written based on a poem of Flush. ~Gina~

I do not like many 19th-century English poets, but Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one that I do. Her Sonnets from the Portuguese are some of the most honest love poems I have read, and the other poems in this selection are a good reminder that she tackled many social issues as well. However, as a dog person, my favorite poem has to be To Flush, My Dog, a tribute to her faithful companion.