Items related to Count Karlstein - The Novel
Synopsis
Count Karlstein
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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 best-selling adventures The Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife, mesmerizes us again with his playful, suspenseful thriller Count Karlstein. Readers young and old will revel in every angle, twist, and turn of this breathlessly paced, very funny page-turner. --Karin Snelson
Review
"It's whirlwind plotting, manipulated into a pulsing tale of darkened hearts, treachery and at long last, redemption" (Kirkus)
"In this deliciously gothic thriller there are enough demon huntsmen, evil guardians, and brooding castles to please even the most desensitized reader" (School Library Journal)
"Dashing, sparkling, and wildly over the top" (Publishers Weekly)
"Any youngster who likes ghostly tales of the macabre accompanied with much humour will get a lot of fun from this unusual book" (Junior Bookshelf)
"Ingeniously-designed comic-cum-novel, a gothic pastiche that can be read as simple fun or as a literary lesson" (Guardian)
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- PublisherCorgi Childrens
- Publication date2007
- ISBN 10 0552557307
- ISBN 13 9780552557306
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages272
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
Published by
Corgi Childrens 01/11/2007, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
Published by
Corgi Childrens 01/11/2007, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
Used
Softcover
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
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Count Karlstein - The Novel (Paperback)
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Penguin Random House Children's UK, London, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
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Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. A deliciously terrifying and wickedly funny gothic tale. This is the first ever children's novel by the award-winning Philip Pullman - a treat no Pullman fan should miss!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! Count Karlstein, or The Ride of the Demon Huntsman, was Philip Pullman's first novel for children, published by Chatto and Windus in 1982. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780552557306
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Count Karlstein - The Novel
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Condition: Good. Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. Seller Inventory # Z1-B-018-01609
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Count Karlstein : The Novel
Published by
Random House Children's Books, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
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Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
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Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 41028073-20
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Count Karlstein : The Novel
Published by
Random House Children's Books, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
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Condition: Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 38809126-20
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Count Karlstein The Novel
Published by
Penguin Random House Children's UK, 2007
ISBN 10: 0552557307
ISBN 13: 9780552557306
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PAP
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PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # GB-9780552557306
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