
audiobook
THREE SHORT WORKS - The Dance of Death The Legend of Saint-Julian the Hospitaller A Simple Soul - By Gustave Flaubert
THE DANCE OF DEATH - (1838)
“Many words for few things!” - “Death ends all; judgment comes to all.”
THE LEGEND OF SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLER
CHAPTER I - THE CURSE
CHAPTER II - THE CRIME
CHAPTER III - THE REPARATION
A SIMPLE SOUL
CHAPTER I - FÉLICITÉ
CHAPTER II - THE HEROINE
In this opening piece, Death takes the stage as a storm‑tossed speaker, describing winter snows, cypress trees, and the relentless ride of a pale horse. The voice blends romantic grandeur with stark inevitability, turning the harvest of souls into a vivid, almost tangible procession. The prose‑poem invites listeners to hear mortality as both a natural rhythm and a haunting, tireless rider.
The second story shifts to a medieval setting, following a devout pilgrim who vows to shelter travelers despite a cursed inheritance. As he confronts the weight of his family’s dark promise, his compassion becomes a quiet rebellion against fate. Listeners are drawn into a world of chivalry, faith, and the uneasy balance between duty and redemption.
The final piece offers a quiet portrait of an ordinary soul navigating daily life with simple, earnest honesty. Its modest narration contrasts sharply with the earlier grandiosity, yet it reveals the same underlying yearning for meaning. The subtle humor and gentle observations make the story a resonant reflection on how ordinary moments hold their own quiet poetry.
Full title
Three short works The Dance of Death, the Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller, a Simple Soul. The Dance of Death, the Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller, a Simple Soul.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (139K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Etext produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML file produced by David Widger
Release date
2003-12-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1821–1880
Best known for Madame Bovary, he helped shape literary realism with an exacting style and a sharp eye for ordinary lives. His work still stands out for its precision, irony, and deep influence on the modern novel.
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