Count Karlstein, or The Ride of the Demon Huntsman, was Philip Pullman's first novel for children, published by Chatto and Windus in 1982. It is a wonderful Gothic melodrama which he first wrote as a play for school-children when he was an English teacher. No one in the village of Karlstein dares to leave their home on All Souls Eve - the night Zamiel, the Demon Huntsman comes to claim his prey. But the evil Count Karlstein has struck a terrible bargin with Zamiel, and so the lives of his young nieces, Lucy and Charlotte,are in danger. Their only hope lies with Hildi, a castle maidservant, and her fearless brother, Peter. Can they save the girls from their dreadful fate? Only one thing is certain - the Demon Huntsman will not return to his dark wood unsatisfied!
Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature. Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.
This is a spooky-fun romp; Young Frankenstein for tweens!!!! It is a perfect mixture of gothic horror and slapstick comedy. Involves deals with the Devil, lost heirs, reunited lovers, and jailbreaks.
This supernatural thriller is a bit scary, but it's also very funny. It's based on the legend of the Wild Hunt and the Demon Huntsman. The story involves plenty of outlandish characters and hilarious incidents. The high point is the shooting match near the end where one very improbable coincidence after another is revealed. Grownups, don't miss out on this one. It's not just for children.
Another spooky season read! This time I went back to the basics and read something by an author that I've been desperately trying to read from again (I swear my reread of His Dark Materials will happen one day).
In the first children's book ever published by Pullman, with elements inspired by Weber's opera Der Freisch眉tz, an evil count intends to sacrifice his two nieces to the Demon Huntsman on the night of All Soul's Eve. In a series of tales recounted by different narrators, we discover how one of the castle's servants, Hildi, helps the two girls escape, but that is only the beginning of their incredible adventures.
The cast of characters is picturesque and improbable, and the language used lends itself perfectly to the cartoonish events. Even the style of the different point of view reflects the personalities of the current speakers: the two girls, lovers of Gothic fiction, write as if just escaped from a Radcliffe novel, with affected tones and exaggerated emotions, the assistant of a fraudulent magician gets distracted on every sentence he speaks, while Hildi, who ends up being the main narrator, is more matter of fact.
Despite lacking the depth of the books that brought the author to international fame, Count Karlstein was a fun and quick read, perfect for young children but also okay for adults that like to relieve their childhood as well.
I do have to say that the names of some of the characters and sometimes even their descriptions hold antisemitic values - first and foremost the count himself, with his Jewish sounding surname and his desire to kill his precious English nieces for the sake of wealth; the fact that this is a children's book doesn't excuse the continued portrayal of a racist stereotype that is so common it's become almost invisible to our eyes, so much so that I'm willing to believe Pullman didn't even notice doing it - maybe in the eighties when the novel was first published it wasn't discussed as much, but as modern readers we have to force ourselves to notice and denounce this kind of thing when it happens.
This story is both scary and hilarious at the same time. It reminded me of Dracula or Frankentein for the younger reader, as it had the same gothic aspects and style of writing.
Set in the fictional swiss village of Karlstein, it tells the story of the evil Count Karlstein; who makes a terrible deal with the Demon Huntsman, Zamiel. The Count's two young neice's Lucy and Charlotte are in danger as a result of their Uncle's bargain and it is up to Hildi, the castle's maidservant to help them. With the aid of a few funny characters along the way, including the marvellous Cadaverezzi and his assistant Max, Hildi sets out to save her friends.
This book could be read independantly by strong readers in Y5 or Y6 but some aspects may need explaining if it was read to younger children. What I found most enjoyable about this book was the different narratives and how Pullman has managed to make each character have their own voice. This is something which could be explored in class, encouraging the children to imagine they are writing their own account of the story and then they could compare with each other to see how they have understood or interpretted different parts of the story differently.
I do not profess to be an expert on the works of Philip Pullman, but I have read a few, and I have to admit this book, of which I never knew of its existence until I saw it on the shelf at the library, is one of his finest. In a writing style and narrative I feel to be completely different from his other works, Pullman puts together a first person account of an extraordinary adventure full of danger, confusion, several mishaps, and everything finally set to rights, told by several of the main characters of the novel. The book is divided into three parts, the first and last told by Hildi, and the middle a collection of accounts by different participants. I wasn't sure if I liked it this way--I thought it should either all be told by Hildi, or the switching narratives be more evenly distributed, but in the end it comes together perfectly, and leaves you in far more suspense if it had been done any other way. I was able to figure out what was going to happen long before it did in some instances, but that did little to diminish my enjoyment or satisfaction of the book.
When maidservent Hildi overhears her employer Count Karlstein discussing his nefarious plans for his two nieces, she knows she must do something to stop him. But, she's only a young girl herself. What can she do?
And so the fun begins . . .
I took away one star because Hildi, so instrumental to the whole story, isn't there at the rescue.
That aside, there's a huge cast of colorful characters, with plenty of hijinks, and mistaken identity. It reminded me of grand opera, and would in fact make a fantastic musical, or even a Tim Burton movie.
Count Karlstein isn't as good as Clockwork -- maybe that's the fact that I didn't read it as a child and I don't have associated nostalgia, though. Anyway, it's in a similar vein, a little bit of a Gothic story with suspense and an improbably wonderful conclusion. Fun, easy to read, but not ground-breaking, and predictable.
Definitely something I imagine children would get more out of than an adult. One thing I did find quite fun was Lucy and Charlotte's narratives -- their overwrought style of narration was perfect.
Ein ehemaliges Theaterst眉ck aus Philip Pullmans Tagen als Lehrer aufgearbeitet als kindgerechter Schauerroman. Und kindgerecht war es leider - aber auch putzig. Und witzig! Glatt w眉nscht man sich einen Lehrer wie Philip Pullman, der in der eigenen Schule - oder der Schule der eigenen Kinder - solch ein St眉ck auf die Beine stellt! Wahrscheinlich bin ich pers枚nlich ein bisschen zu alt f眉r dieses Buch. Ist also mehr eine Leseempfehlung f眉r Kinder im Grundschulalter. Mit 230 Seiten auch kurz und leicht verdaulich.
This full cast recording was awesome. It was a little distracting have the music start up in the middle of the story for no apparent reason (other than to manipulate our mood) but overall I loved the actors and sound effects. Pullman is a great writer, and knows how to make memorable characters. His problem is plot. He goes off on tangents (that are often fun, but serve to weaken the reader's involvement). I found myself liking this book, but not feeling particularly interested in what might happen next. I imagined myself finishing and being dissatisfied. So I quit to save time.
10 years ago Count Karlstein made a deal with Zamiel, the demon huntsman. That deal is soon coming to an end and Zamiel will be coming to collect his part of the deal. The deal was Count Karlstein is to give Zamiel prey, two humans and Count Karlstein has decided to sacrifice his two nieces. Hildi, the maidservant, overhears his evil plan and knows she has to do something. She can't let anything happen to Lucy and Charlotte. So, Hildi comes up with a plan of her own.
Philip Pullman is a favorite author of mine, but it has been awhile since I've read one of his books. I choose this one as it is one I hadn't read yet. And this book reminded me just exactly why Pullman is one of my favorite authors. He puts together a story filled with action, mystery and a bit of the supernatural. The book is split into three parts, first part is narrated by Hildi. Part two is narrated by various characters and it actually works out rather well. It was neat to get inside the head of other characters from the book besides Hildi. The third part is again narrated by Hildi. I quite liked the characters. Hildi was very nice and caring. She didn't want anything to happen to Lucy or Charlotte. And of course, there is Lucy and Charlotte. You really have to feel for them, their uncle wants to give them to the demon huntsman to save his own life. Plus, there are other wonderful characters that do their part for the story. I really thought this was a great book. I love it. It just has all the right things to keep a story interesting and make you want to keep reading.
You may be familiar with The Golden Compass and the Sally Lockhart Mystery Series, but the best Pullman I've listened to is Count Karlstein. Like the others, it is a full-cast production. It's gothic darkness is offset by it's surprising good humor. I enjoyed the adventure of the 14 years Hildi Kelmar, as she encounters a broad array of well-drawn gothic characters. Her practical problem solving, determination and good humor held the story together for me. It's a delightful one-off of Pullmans. Perfect road trip listen!
This book is very entertaining but keep in mind it's directed to a younger audience (if that really matter to you and if you are looking for a more adult read). I read this book when I was 16 and enjoyed it a lot even though I was a bit too old for it. Philip Pullman is a great story teller and every time I read one of his books I feel like it has entertaining secrets for his older and more philosophical audience..... this book is no exception so I recommend this for the young at heart.
In the beginning I felt lost between the characters and the plot as well, but in the second act I was able to connect the characters and events, and the experience was good. The story involves silly and hilarious moments with fun spooky adventure too, I liked the story's illustrations, despite it distracted me a bit at first. There was a lacking depth in the story but overall the book was fun and quick read with a good ending too. ** #VERDICT (6.8/10)
When I was in the primary school, I read this book and I was literally OBSESSED! I think this book is pleasurable for young girls, cause two main characters who defeat the villain(their uncle) are teenage girls while being in a miserable state. And this is why I really love this book since childhood. 馃槄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a delightful offering from the author of the 鈥淗is Dark Materials鈥� series. Set in a fictional Swiss village in the early 19th century, this tale combines a cast of interesting characters, a wild and scary plot, and lots of humor. I particularly enjoyed the middle part which relayed the story first hand from a variety of players. The 鈥減olice report鈥� from Sergeant Snitch was like a Monty Python routine. Good fun and skillfully narrated by BBC actor, Mark Gatiss of 鈥淪herlock鈥� fame.
Count Karlstein - a nasty, miserly, evil character for sure! Cheering the good guys, booing the bad guys, sympathizing with the wee ones - a terrific gothic tale! Delightful from start to end!
Great folk tale filled with thrills and suspense with two young damsels in distress, an evil uncle and his oily henchman, and assorted other characters both good/brave and some stupid/wicked. Very good ending . . . Good triumphs over evil! Hooray!
Usually, I adore anything Philip Pullman writes, I mean I may someday tattoo his name in a heart instead of the usually 鈥楳om鈥� tattoo.
But, this wasn鈥檛 one I adored.
Wildly entertaining? Yes
A good read for Middle-Grade children? I want to say yes without hesitation but鈥ut鈥鈥檓 just not sure about the use of the word slut. Now, I鈥檓 not saying Middle-Grade children can鈥檛 handle it! Kids can always handle more than we think, YA, in general, is a good example of that, adults love YA books, but, they鈥檙e written for teens and despite what we may think of the content, there鈥檚 nothing wrong with it for YA aged audiences.
I just hate that the word Slut had to be used at all. And, that isn鈥檛 the only reason I gave it three stars lol, there鈥檚 not a lot of action for a book that should be packed with it. I think that my daughter would be a little bored in the lulls, but, the humour was on point and when there was action, it was delightful! So, I did enjoy this, I just didn鈥檛 love it. And I wanted to love it.
The book is written in a half short story/ half comic book style, with both pictures and words used to tell the story. The book itself is based around All souls eve, Which I perceive to be a take on all Hallows eve. A lonely man stands on a cliff awaiting to call the Demon Huntsman and his blood thirsty hounds, to grant him all the things he desires most in the world. Although this comes at a cost, with the now Count Karlstein having to give the Demon Huntsman a life in return for his new found power.
Likes:
As previously mentioned the book is written in two different styles, which may sound confusing but actually works quite well. It breaks up the story and actually mean more children who aren't so strong at reading would still be able to follow the story.
I also like how the author and Illustrator have drawn and labelled the each charter or item mentioned in the book, even down to things such as a 'spooky tree'. Which I feel gives the reader the ability to really imagine the characters.
The book starts each chapter with headings such as 'great escape or the great loss' which I have never come across before. I quite like this point about each chapter as it gives the reader a sort of choice as to what they prefer the chapter to be named.
Dislikes:
Although I have stated that I like the way the book is laid out with the use of written language as well as comic book style scenes, I feel that some children that were of the ability level to read the book would simply end up skipping through the pages to just look at the pictures and not really focus on improving their reading or understanding of words.
Age Range:
I feel that the book would be best suited for upper key stage two pupils or those of 10+ with a good level of reading ability.
Use in a classroom:
This book could be used as a paired reading tool, or in a lesson based about pupils learning how to draw/write a comic strip in a combined Art/English lesson.
Phillip Pullman narrates the captivating story of the evil Count Karlstein whose evilness gets the better of him when he strikes a dangerous and greedy deal with the Demon Huntsman Zamiel. Count Karlstein plays with fire when he accepts a wish granted by Zamiel and in return promises to provide a human sacrifice on All Soul's Eve ten years from the day on which the wish is granted. In a desperate attempt to keep his wish of an honourable name and a great estate, Count Karlstein sacrifices his beloved nieces only for it to all backfire on him. With the help of their caring housemaid and surrounding friends, the sweet girls manage to breakaway from danger after an intense and exciting journey The author engages the reader throughout with his magical themes and snips of comedy. The cartoon animations provide key pieces of information and help maintain the readers attention. A lesson throughout the book is that of helpfulness and to treat others that way you wish to be treated. Throughout the book characters are tempted with good fortune and wealth but at the expense of a friend or loved one, and so must use their good judgment in order to do the right thing. It is an exciting book set in the Transylvanian lands that will capture the attention of all and provide startling moments and gentle laughter.