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Count Karlstein
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Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780375803482
ISBN: 0375803483
Label: Yearling
Manufacturer: Yearling
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: February 22, 2000
Publisher: Yearling
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Release Date: February 22, 2000
Studio: Yearling
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Editorial Review:
"I might have occupied my mind usefully with Improving Thoughts, but the only improvement I could imagine then was a pair of wings, to enable me to fly to freedom. And, of course, a Head for Heights. I cleaned the dust from the window and peered out hopefully, but there was nothing but a Horrid Precipice, with jagged crags several thousands of feet below." Such are the woes of young Charlotte, locked in a tower room of her uncle's gloomy Castle Karlstein in 19th-century Switzerland. Escaping this predicament seems the least of her worries: in a solemn blood pact, her evil uncle, Count Karlstein, has promised to sacrifice his two orphaned nieces, Lucy and Charlotte, to Zamiel the Demon Huntsman--on midnight of All Souls' Eve--in return for his current riches.
First, however, the heartless Count and his "lip-licking, moist-handed, creeping, smarming" secretary, Herr Arturo Snivelwurst, will have to catch Lucy, too--and it is no small task with the headstrong, 14-year-old Hildi Kelmar; her 18-year-old, handsome-in-a-scowling-sort-of-way brother, Peter; and the intrepid English teacher Miss Augusta Davenport on the girls' side. As Miss Davenport herself points out, "an English gentlewoman can rise above any circumstances, given intelligence and a loaded pistol." The events in this delightful gothic farce unfold quickly in a variety of narrative voices, artfully building in suspense to a powerful, terrifying, deeply satisfying stand-off between the Count and the Demon Huntsman of Impenetrable Darkness himself. Subplots and loose ends are gracefully, happily, justly tied up in the light of day, finally allowing readers to exhale.
British novelist Philip Pullman, masterful storyteller and creator of the bestselling adventures The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife, mesmerizes us again with his playful, suspenseful thriller Count Karlstein, released in the United States 16 years after its appearance in the United Kingdom. Readers young and old will revel in every angle, twist, and turn of this breathlessly paced, very funny page-turner. (Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson
Now in paperback, a spooky and funny middle-grade thriller from the author of The Golden Compass.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Pretty good.
This was a pretty good book. Nothing on my top shelf list or anything. It was kind of slow in some parts and with my ADHD it was hard to keep my attention at times. :p Overall on a 1-10 scale I would give it a 6 meaning above average. Not as good as "His Dark Materials" but worth getting if you have a road trip to take and need something to keep you occupied during the drive.
Chad.
Rating:  - Great! A true classic!
We enjoyed this story on a five hour car ride - three kids under 14 and one adult. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
Count Karlstein is a classic fairytale with hints of Faust, Hansel and Gretel (The Brothers Grimm), and Charles Dickens. The story has a lively combination of characters both straight and comic. The audio version is clear and well portrayed with a cast of 8 actors.
Count Karlstein is a villain who is the sole remaining relative of a pair of orphan girls. These ... Read More
Rating:  - This was a good audio book
This book was funny because there were a lot of characters who had silly names like Roliopolio and Snivelwurst.
I liked when Charlotte found a wooden head that she named Herr Woodenkopf and carried it around everywhere. It tricked people into thinking it was someone's head and that was funny.
I really liked Charlotte and Max and Eliza. They were the good guys. I did not like Zamiel the Huntsman, he was the bad guy and so was Count Karlstein.
I liked that everyone ... Read More
Rating: - Count Karlstein
I liked this book because all the different characters had their own voices. I liked Charlotte best because she was smart. And I also liked when Lucy was the princess in Dr. Cadaverezzi's show. It was funny when Max's girlfriend Eliza kept calling his coach horn a trombone. And then he made his coach horn shoot a pea and he shot it through the mayor's hat by accident. There were a lot of silly parts in the book because some of the grownups weren't so smart. Charlotte, Lucy and Hildi, who were the kids, ... Read More
Rating: - Witty gothic satire but not Pullman's best
A parody of gothic melodramas,COUNT KARLSTEIN, could be confusing to the presumed target audience of upper elementary and middle schoolers. The book is told from the viewpoint of several different people and Pullman's writing here is not as well delineated as in his later books. Lots of characters are quickly introduced and I found myself thumbing back to remind myself exactly who was who, especially in the beginning chapters. The plot is over the top and exciting with lots of fun surprises revealed ... Read More
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