Flush, by Virginia Woolf - Sian
Anyone who's visited the store with their perfect pooch in tow can testify to the fact that I am a passionate advocate for dogs. As a cause, it is my number one! More dogs, fewer humans, that's what I always say! AND more books about dogs.
Virginia Woolf, the icon that she is, wrote a book about a dog. A real dog! Elizabeth Bennett Browning's dog, whose name was Flush. The perfect cocker spaniel; a beautiful soul, a wonderful companion. This books lends itself both as a biography for Flush, but also for Elizabeth Bennett Browning, albeit with a lot of creative liberties taken, of course. We see her life progress, only as it comes to affect Flush: how much attention he's getting, what sort of walks he's been on. It's such a charming concept, and it was lovely read over Christmas... for the most part.
Poor Flush, as dogs usually are, was merely swept up in the lives of the humans around him. I felt sorry for Flush for a sizeable chunk of this book. It transpires that Elizabeth had what we would now recognise to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. And since she spent most of her time alone in her bedroom, resting, so did Flush. The poor little tyke, for years, merely sat on the sofa beside her. As a dog owner myself, I couldn't imagine condemning any dog to this docile life, let alone a spaniel! Have you ever met a spaniel? They're mental! And this is just the beginnings of the stresses and traumas that Flush endures throughout the course of his life.
During troubling times for Flush, the book became very difficult to read. The vivid description from his point of view was disarming and upsetting, to say the least. I found myself furious with the humans who left sweet Flush to his fate. It was quite grounding to see our actions through the eyes of an innocent and loyal animal, and reminded me how wholly they rely on us for their happiness and health.
This book was surprisingly well fleshed out, considering the narrator is a spaniel, and it was just nice to allow myself to be swept up in the story, and not question its accuracy too much. It was both a lovely and a haunting read for a dog-lover. Only proceed if you can keep your furry little friend close by for quick squeezes and snuggles when things get tough for Flush!
- Sian
