Three Tales offers an excellent introduction to the work of one of the world`s greatest novelists. A Simple Heart is set in the Normandy of Flaubert`s childhood, while Saint Julian and Herodias draw on medieval myth and the biblical story of John the Baptist for their inspiration. Each of the tales invites comparison with one or other of Flaubert`s novels, but they also reveal a fresh and distinctive side to the writers`s genius.