Three Tales [Mass Market Paperback]

His first story, "Simple Heart," appears to relate a life of both ignorance and acceptance that endures in suffering. Although a life with obstacles, it ends with a somber type of happiness and sense of completeness that elevates loyalty, simplistic ignorance and childlike acceptance that paradoxically ends in futility, the futility of life itself. "Ignorance is both tragic and bliss."

In the seconds story of St. Julian, it contains similarities with the ancient Greek tragedy of King Odepius, told by Sophocles. For in both Flaubert's story of St. Julian and Sophocles story of King Odepius, the tale begins with an oracle that predetermines the character's fate with his subsequent attempts to alter his destiny. Both stories relate how destiny and freedom exist in relative degrees and are thus illusionary in the absolute sense. It's a matter of accepting such destiny and working within the limitations to make the changes that prove human dignity can never be erased. It is the freedom within boundaries that can never be crossed. If I had to compare these two stories, St. Julian is far inferior, but an entertaining read. St. Julian, a killer of a man who becomes the most empathetic, forgiven by God and carried away like Elisha.

The third story, Herodius, is an extension or more detailed, fictious, story of the gospel account of John the Baptist and his subsequent execution.

All three stories are short and flow.

"A simple heart" is easily the best of the three, in fact a masterpiece of Flaubertism, that is, a subtly ironic and totally dispassionate and realistic account of some provincial character. Felicite is a "simple heart", a woman of miserable origins who spends her life in servitude, contemplating the years go by, each one identical to the next. Felicite has a simple faith in God, unquestioning, unphilosophic, the kind of faith every priest dreams about for his flock. The tale is perfectly written, utterly sad and desolate, but being written by Flaubert, there's a cold irony beneath. Some people think this tale represents Christianity as it came to be in Modern times (XIX century).

"The Legend of St. Julian Hospitator" is a very strange tale of sin and redemption -the Medieval way. Julian is born rich, but he's a cruel man, fond of killing animals. He has no mercy in his heart. After a strange prophecy which he thinks has been fulfilled, Julian flees home and wanders around for many years, until he finds love. But he will sin again and ruin his life for his impiety. The end is a mystic and chilling one. Some people think this tale represents Christianity as lived by people in the Middle Ages.

"Herodias", is a cinematographic tale which tells the story of John the Baptist's beheading. It is picture after picture of action. The central character is Herod, puppet king of Judea. He's having a hard time watching his numerous enemies camped outside his palace, dealing with the Roman envoy, placating the Jewish priests and wondering what to do with the prisoner he has in a dungeon -John. Then everybody shows up and a party begins. There, his lover's daughter, Herodias, will ask for something from him. Some people think this is the social context of the beginnings of Christianity.

Make your own conclusions: is Flaubert giving us a history lesson? Or savagely attacking Christianity and mocking it? Or simply depicting the different ways Christianity has been lived through the centuries? Or none of the above?