L'éditeur indique : Ivre des plaisirs de la chasse et de la guerre, malade du goût de tuer, devenu étranger à lui-même, Julien accomplira les sinistres prédictions qui l'accompagnent depuis le berceau et selon lesquelles, au terme du massacre et comme apothéose au carnage, il doit commettre l'irréparable, le crime absolument sans rémission. Et pourtant le pardon lui sera accordé. [...] Récit fantastique qui débute comme un conte de Grimm et finit en nouvelle d'Edgar Allan Poe, [ce court roman] nous fait passer de la fable de catéchisme à la vision de l'insoutenable en révélant [...] ce que fut la "manière" de Flaubert, mélange d'érudition historique, d'imagination flamboyante et de la vérité crue du fait divers.

‘The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier’ (1877) is a short story about the medieval Saint Julian the Hospitalier, written by French author Gustave Flaubert, famous for his scandalous novel ‘Madame Bovary’. Predicted at birth to do great things, a father and mother are told their new born son will marry into the family of a Great Emperor and become a Saint. However, when cursed by a stag after slaughtering innocent animals, Julian flees in an attempt to escape his fate. ‘The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier’ is a fine example of Flaubert’s mastery of the short story and remains essential reading for fans of his work. Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was a French novelist, regarded as one of the greatest Western writers and a leading exponent of literary realism in France. A hugely influential figure, he is best known for his debut novel ‘Madame Bovary’ (1857) which caused a nationwide scandal upon publication with its realistic portrayal of bourgeois life. The historical novel 'Salammbô' and the painting-inspired 'The Temptation of Saint Anthony' are some of his other well-known works. Many of Flaubert’s stories have since been adapted for TV and film including ‘Madame Bovary’ (2000) starring Hugh Bonneville and Greg Wise.

Acclaimed by Italo Calvino as "one of the most extraordinary spirtual journeys ever accomplished outside any religion," Three Tales (1877) was the last of Flaubert's works published during his lifetime. The ambitious range of the stories -- "A Simple Heart," "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller," and "Herodias" -- reaches from the author's own century back to the Middle Ages and to ancient Israel. "A Simple Heart," in Flaubert's own words, "is just the account of an obscure life, that of Felicite a poor country girl, pious but mystical, quietly devoted, and as tender as fresh bread... I want to arouse people's pity, to make sensitive souls weep, since I am one myself." The middle story, "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller," tells of a bloodthirsty hunter and warrior whose attempts to escape a dire prophecy ultimately lead to a state of grace. "Herodias," the final tale, is based on the legends surrounding King Herod, Salome, and John the Baptist. It served as the inspiration for later interpretations, including Oscar Wilde's Salome and Jules Massenet's opera Herodiade. "To any modern writer, in whatever language," remarked Anthony Burgess of Three Tales, "these are recommended as a fundamental textbook of style." Book jacket.