Please help with the understanding of the sentence below.
Searle was quiet for a long time, staring at the smooth water as it flooded so slowly towards the bridge and then was flicked under it with the sudden hysteria of water sucked round obstacles in its path.
What does 'was flicked under it with the sudden hysteria of water sucked round obstacles in its path' mean?
Are round obstacles round stones in the river bed?
What is the situation when the water is sucked round obstacle?
(Chapter 4 - To Love and Be Wise, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks08/0800551h.html#ch04)

Question

Answer

In this case round isn't describing an object, it's describing what the water is doing.  The obstacles could be anything.  I think most people would generally use "around" as opposed to "round" as it sounds more natural.

Answer

It's describing how the water moves. Also the word "round" in this context is actually a colloquial way of saying "around" and is not referring to the shape of the objects in the water.

If you can imagine large, stationary objects in a fast, flowing river, the water always become more chaotic and the current moves down and around the object the water passes around. The word "flicked" describes how suddenly the water changes behavior as it hits an object, since the verb "flick" refers to a sudden and swift movement.

I hope this explanation helps. If anything else seems unclear, please ask.