Three Tales and Another

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), French novelist and short story writer, was considered to be a master of style, obsessively devoted to finding the right word (&quote;le mot juste&quote;), in every piece of literature he produced. Although Flaubert is remembered for his novels, most notably &quote;Madame Bovary,&quote; he took a hiatus from longer pieces near the end of his career to produce a wonderful collection of short stories. Four of these stories are featured in this edition, which includes &quote;A Simple Soul,&quote; a story of love and spiritual awakening seen through the simple life of a servant girl, &quote;The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller,&quote; an Oedipus-like tale that examines fate and the rewards of benevolence, and &quote;Herodias,&quote; the retelling of the beheading of John the Baptist. Also included in this edition is &quote;The Dance of Death,&quote; a strange and darkly beautiful tale of a man's encounters with Death and Satan.