Howl's Moving Castle
Ratings675
Average rating4.2
Very weird with delightful characters. Plot is pretty difficult to follow. Love the movie and this didn't disappoint but it is different in a fun way (they go to Wales!!)
Ehhh, I'm having a hard time rating this book. I liked Howl. Loved even. Sophie was just not it in the book (and I really like her in the movie). Diane did capture the magic of Howl's moving castle and the spirit the film has. I did enjoy the story, I just prefer the film in this particular case (sorry).
Some people just don't “get” fantasy. They are unable to comprehend the appeal of stories full of people who never existed and never could have, genealogical tables composed entirely of unpronounceable names, and endless endpaper maps portraying craggy coastlines that look like Wales, but aren't, quite. They prefer to stay within the known world, with names which somebody, somewhere, can pronounce, and lands reliably mapped by National Geographic.
There's plenty of great reading in the realms of realistic fiction, to be sure; but there is nothing quite like the pleasure of opening a book and stepping into a world that is purely of the imagination, yet inwardly coherent and recognizably real. Something in the human mind and spirit, something of its boundless possibilities, can perhaps best be expressed thus. Some authors, we can feel, are not so much painstakingly inventing a world full of cumbersome accoutrements, but discovering one that reveals a hidden aspect of ourselves.
Such a world is given to us by Diana Wynne Jones in Howl's Moving Castle, one of her blithest and most enchanting novels. “In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three,” she begins, and immediately we are caught up in the realm of fairy-tale logic, where everyone knows the eldest of three is doomed to failure, should three siblings set out to seek their fortunes.
Sophie Hatter, who happens to be the eldest of three sisters, never questions this law of existence. She resigns herself to a mundane existence in the family hat shop (not even being “the child of a poor woodcutter, which might have given her some chance of success”). Her determination to be ordinary is disrupted by a call from the wicked Witch of the Waste, who casts a very inconvenient spell on her; and by the fearsome Wizard Howl, who, in spite of his reputation for sucking out the souls of young girls, allows her in to his mysterious moving castle, and seems to be in need of some saving himself.
As Sophie puzzles through the riddle posed by witch, wizard and castle, she finds that all is not as it seems, including her assumptions about herself. Is magic all about showy transformations and fiery battles? Or is there even more power in the stories we tell ourselves?
Read more at http://emeraldcitybookreview.blogspot.com
Love this book so much! I was watching the Miyazaki movie with my sister, and I saw on the opening title “based on novel by Diana Wynn Jones”. I was like “omigod omigod omigod I NEED THAT BOOK!!!!” Totally lived up to and even exceeded expectations. Recommend it for anyone who's seen the movie and/or loves fanasity with a little romance.
Nice book. If you saw the movie and liked it this books has a different story but is still very likeable!!
truthfully, i didn't love this book like i thought i would. i think the characters in this book are the strongest aspect, and i think the general whimsical fairytale-like atmosphere of the story was very well done. it felt very cozy and comforting to read!
the reason why i say i say i didn't love this is because of how little i felt like i understood of the overarching plot. i think this is the kind of book i need to reread to fully understand - there was a surprising amount of depth to the story, but i think the way it was executed was a little confusing. i did find the ending very sweet though, even if a lot of the preceding chapters felt a bit muddled.
as some other reviews have said, i think i wouldn't have the same level of comittment to finish this if it weren't associated with the movie. i did enjoy reading and don't regret it at all though (i actually havent watched the ghibli movie so this is my gateway LOL) and i think with a revisit, i might like it more
I watched the film many times before reading this book and I wish I had read this earlier. I found the book to be better story wise compared to the film although the films visuals fit the story so well.
The book is not quite magical despite having magic in it. It felt more cozy and whimsical. The author made multiple storylines, each interesting on their own, and brilliantly combined them near the end. I often found myself smiling at how cute or funny the story is. I loved the main character. She went from someone passive to someone more commanding. She does make some mistakes along the way to becoming a stronger person but it’s nice to see a female character be more assertive.
This would be a great book for any kid to read. I enjoyed this so much.
What's commendable to me about Wynne Jones's writing is the deft hand with which she undertakes the children's / teenage fantasy genre. To be more precise, the deft hand which makes the story unfold in tens of confident plot strands, turns as well the most obvious–and perhaps most base–
readerly expectations of loud or bombastic showdowns of witches/wizards into a narrative ultimately entrenched in endearing-intelligent sense of humour.
One requires perhaps a patient tracking down of the narrative movement, following the t0-be-tied-down-later threads of the plot, the eventual ‘understanding' of the metaphoric import, however, emerges as a rewarding and satisfying read. That someone like Miyazaki would be convinced by the tale to be brought to the celebrated Ghibli anime repertoire, is testament to Diana Wynne Jones's command over craft.
In the world of the ‘moving castle', dogs, cats and people (the eldest of siblings take special mention) – (discount not the hats and dresses) are so much more than who we might expect them to be.
The final image that would stay with me, and which the book crystallizes into, is the inevitably ‘moving' castle, which accommodates as many and much as the colours of the door-knobs would allow.
quite a delightful, whimsical read. cozy despite some descriptions actually being quite gruesome (i'm looking at you, witch of the waste).
A Magical Journey for All Ages
I know I should have read Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones when I was younger, but I can confidently say that you'll enjoy it at any age. This book is pure magic and joy on every page! The whimsical world of Sophie, who is turned into an old woman by a curse, and her encounters with the eccentric wizard Howl, is filled with charm, humor, and heart.
The story's delightful mix of adventure, magic, and quirky characters makes it a true page-turner. Jones' writing brings the world to life in a way that feels timeless and enchanting. I'm so glad I got to experience this as part of a group read—it really added to the enjoyment.
While the pacing felt a bit slow at times, the overall story more than makes up for it. If you're looking for a book that feels like a cozy escape into a fantastical world, Howl’s Moving Castle is the perfect choice
Me ha gustado mucho, es un libro rápido de leer, interesante, divertido y mágico.
Empezando por lo bueno, la historia te engancha desde el primer capítulo y siempre está pasando algo para mantenerte entretenido. Es un libro apto para todos los públicos, aunque obviamente los más peques necesitaran la ayuda de un mayor, ya que el lenguaje no es súper súper básico.
Me gusta mucho Sophie, la protagonista. Para haber estado escrito en 1986 es un libro muy moderno en cuanto a la actitud de Sophie y eso es algo que me ha gustado muchísimo.
El único punto negativo que tiene es que hay algunos momentos que son un poco confusos. Al final se entienden la mayoría pero mientras lo leía me causaron tener que releer algunos trozos para ver si me había saltado algo, y si eso me ha pasado a mí puede que para un niño sea peor, lo menciono más que nada porque la categoría principal es middle grade, pero también es verdad que hay muchos niños que esos temas les da igual mientras se lo pasen bien. También podría ser que esté hecho a posta ya que lo estamos viendo todo desde el punto de vista de Sophie.
En resumen, uno de los mejores libros que he leído y una muy buena recomendación para los peques que empiezan a leer cosas un pelín más avanzadas.
I read this book 10 years ago, and thought that I remembered it, but I really didn't. I think I was confusing it with one of the author's other books. I'm surprised that I didn't remember more, as I'm also the eldest of three sisters.
I think Howl and Sophie are just real magic. The movie is my all-time favorite and I've been putting off reading the book because I was worried it would change my feelings for the movie. It really hasn't. The book is vastly different, but it has enough elements that stayed the same to make it familiar. I loved this book. There is no redemption for the witch of the waste, but it didn't need it. I loved Calcifer, and book Michael, being 15 instead of 9 or 10, was perfect. I liked that Sophie had her own magic. Lettie and Martha were great. The relationship between Howl and Sophie was nuanced and it was almost surprising that he had fallen for Sophie at the end of the book even though I knew it was coming. I was a little sad that Turniphead was less of a character as the scarecrow golem. My favorite part of the book was how Howl really was from Wales and loved rugby so much that his heart made Calcifer sing Sosban fach (the saucepan song). This story is timeless and I'm sure I will read this book again throughout my life.
I wanted to read this before watching Miyazaki’s movie, and now that I’ve seen the movie… the book is unequivocally better. I’d actually recommend watching the movie first, otherwise it’s disappointing. The book is excellent and a completely different storyline. My only complaint is the plot is a bit disjointed or hard to follow on a couple points, but it’s still worth reading.
I'm going to try and read all 3 of the books in this series this year.
First up is Howl's which I enjoyed even more than the movie (which I LOVE). We are in Sophie's head more. There are more characters. I felt like I understood Michael more.
We know the book is almost always better, but I loved being steeped in this world. Sophie has always kind of amazed me. She wakes up an old woman, losing probably 50 years of her life, and she's like well, okay. She owns it and moves on.
I listened to most of the audiobook while getting the garden ready for planting. It was perfect.
This is one of the few instances where the movie outshines the book in my eyes, but that’s slightly unfair to the book in this case because the movie is a masterpiece. This was a very fun fantasy tale, and I’ll likely read more of her work now!
Summary: Sophie, the eldest daughter of a hatmaker, is cursed by an evil witch and has to figure out how to break that curse.
I am not sure why I have not previously read Howl's Moving Castle. I know that I mistakenly thought that I had watched the movie. (I am pretty sure I watched Spirited Away and wrongly remembered it as Howl's Moving Castle.) I was looking for some fiction last week and saw the audiobook at my library after seeing someone say on Twitter that they reread it every January. I picked it up on a whim and finished it in three days.
Howl's Moving Castle is a book that I want to read again in print. I enjoyed the audiobook, but there are a few times when I think I missed small plot points because it was audio and not in print. There is depth in the story here but like many young adult books, there is a lot of the story that is rooted in misunderstanding. And some of that misunderstanding is the characters not understanding their own emotions.
Sophie, the protagonist, is a witch or magician, but she doesn't not know it. Her lack of awareness of her gifts is the main plot point. She slowly comes to an awareness of her gifts as she comes to an awareness of her love for Howl's, the self-centered womanizing wizard who is responsible for the moving castle. The magic has a video game and steampunk feel to it. It works, but it isn't as much classic Mideavil sword and sorcery fantasy as it is a 19th-century world that has magic.
I know the age difference in romantic partnerships was less concerning in earlier generations, but I am concerned about it here (and many other young adult books.) Sophie is 18 or 19 in most of the book. And Howl is 27 more experienced in the ways of the world. Howl's Moving Castle does not really explore Howl's womanizing. It is mostly off-screen and fairly PG. But the gap in age doesn't sit right with me. (Similar to my feeling about almost all of L'Engle's books.)
Part of why it is likely less important to the book is that Sophie is cursed early in the book and is changed into an old woman. She isn't just made to look old; she becomes old with the ailments of age. This gives Sophie some wisdom around age but doesn't give her the experience of life, just the experience of being treated as if she were elderly (and the experience of feeling old.) Sophie's change in appearance allows her to change her personality and she becomes more aware of her own desires and needs as well as more responsible for doing what it takes to get there. She stops being a doormat and becomes more emotionally and relationally mature.
There are a lot of threads to the story, and they mostly resolve themselves quite neatly. The way so many things come together is part of what makes me want to pick up the next book fairly soon. But I do have some other books I need to work through first.
This review was originally published on my blog at https://bookwi.se/howls-moving-castle-2/
3.5 stars
I was liking it at first, but it just maintained a steady “they go here and do a thing, then they go here and do another thing” flow and it got a bit dull. I had heard this is a comfort read for some people, but it just didn't scratch that itch for me. I will rewatch the movie though.
“Sophie could feel that the dark lump of Howl's heart was only beating very faintly between her fingers. It had to be Howl's heart she was holding.”
GIGGLING
