The Vampire of Kaldenstein, Book Review Example

The story of the vampire of Kaldenstein rallies around the theme ignorance and symbolism of characters. This amongst many deems the need for us to understand and heed simple instruction and the need to know and differentiate good and evil.

In this story we learn that the chap who is main character (narrator) after going on expedition, how he narrow mindedly and knowingly of the oblivious danger he was putting himself in did indulge in some rather impish expedition and neglecting all the warning from the local and the man of clothe (priest) advice to keep away from the grey castle of Kaldenstein.

The visit as it has been ill advised by the locals, inn keeper and the priest,  turned pleasing to the curiosity of the young chap, although again the same advice was given to this chap to keep away from the castle at night as he had vowed to come back to meet with the host count Ludwig Von Kaldenstein whose presence at daytime was not accessible because of his living stature as a vampire (Cowles, 1992. pp. 410). Who are considered to be associated with the evil and only maneuvers in the night, as they are associated with the dark forces, vampires as the story narrates shies away from light and is associated with the dark spirit. For they are believed they exist on the expense of other human blood and they kill humans for food and as the priest told the young chap that evil is evidence in the castle because of the presence of the vampires and dated back from many centuries that castle had never ever held a funeral service and its occupant the count Kaldenstein had lived three hundred years, but the chat refuted the priest claims as superstitious and the priest told the chap that from time memorial evil has been reigning over good Cowles commented that “much is possible to those who serve the devil” and also retorted how the castle if full of terrible haunt and unnatural wickedness. Cowles stated that “ Kaldenstein castle is the haunt of terrible, unnatural wickedness and I urge u to keep as far away from it as you can”

The story clearly shows how first this chap who is narrating the story went and gathered information about the castle of count Ludwig Von Kaldenstein and the occupant associated activities from the locals. He then was forewarned by the butler of the castle who did not share the blood craving as the host and his relative whom are believed to have died ten centuries ago, not to go back at night and was only told to visit at his own will “ come not to Kaldenstein after the sun has set lest you find that which shall fill your heart with fear” and emphasized that lest he come it should be out of his own free will “  if you come back the count will see you but it will be out of your free will that you visited the castle again” and this is repeatedly emphasized by the count himself “the guest that we welcome today are those who come willingly”

This story dwells upon the free will of human being to do what is not good knowingly and arrogantly and as the bibles state that “my people perish because of ignorance”

From the lessons that this study has on one we are going to address two questions; why is evil always so appealing and pleasing, like we are told to do this and we do the opposite? And why is it so hard to follow sound advice than faulty and destructive advice? In this tale the chap knew all the consequences that followed when one fostered any association with the castle, which was regarded by the local as the devils lair, but ignored their advice (Cowles, 1992. pp. 416). Also ignored the advice from the priest who advocated that he keep away from that God forbidden place also to this he brushed off as superstition and lastly from the butler of the castle himself who advised that the night visit was a ill notion and the chap should change his mind about that kind of rendezvous because of the fatality of the consequences that would have followed.

Secondly as the saying says curiosity killed the cat is the main theme of this tale as the curiosity that this chap harbored was enormous to the point of putting his life online so as to justify his curious urges (Cowles, 1992. pp. 421). Arrogantly doing this oblivious of the dangers brushing them aside as superstition and thinking that the locals were just dumb and considering himself superior and having knowledgeable mind that vampires or evil are illusions harbored by minds of those who are religious or spiritual.

Conclusion

It’s critical to recall the fate that could have been befallen this chap if the intervention of the priest and the inn keeper had been delayed. Also affected by this is the death of the butler who had tried to advice the chap against the visit to the forbidden castle at the hours of the night. The moral of this tale is generally the concept which we us human being undertake in understanding well and evil and the path that we choose to follow. Ignorance we harbor knowing well of the consequences involved in any wrong doing, if only we can commit ourselves to good and learn to take and heed sound advice then many unwanted shortcoming in life would be lessened by this trends and good would prevail over evil.

Work Cited

Cowles, Frederick. The Vampire of Kaldenstein. Oxford: Oxford University Press 1992. pp. 407- 424