Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle
(Howl's Moving Castle #1)
Diana Wynne Jones
Release: April 1986
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Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

Review:
You know those books you pick up and wish you could go back in time and make Kid/Teen You pick them up because you know they would have loved them? Howl's Moving Castle was one of those books for me. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS!?!

I think part of the reason is because I have loved the movie for years. Hayao Miyazaki's movie version of Howl's has this warm, fairy-tale quality to it that I absolutely adore! I had always attributed that to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's ability to make film masterpieces. And while they do deserve some credit for that, I discovered that most of that credit should go to Diana Wynne Jones. The book is definitely what lent the movie its whimsical feel and had a lot of surprising depths to it that didn't quite translate to the movie. I found it intriguing to see how different the movie and book were from each other but yet still were very similar. I loved it so much!

This story is a very inventive tale about a wizard or two, a maybe witch, and a fire demon named Calcifer. The story's main character is Sophie Hatter. Sophie has two sisters, Letty and Martha. After their father dies, the girls find out there is little money left. So they're pulled out of school and apprenticed out to learn different trades. One will be a baker and the other will go on to study magic. Sophie, the eldest, will stay on with her step-mother and learn to manage the family hat shop.

While working in the shop one day, Sophie is cursed by a witch which turns her into an old woman and she has to figure out how to get it removed. On the way, she takes refuge within a moving castle belonging to the wizard Howl and shenanigans ensue. She's not the only one cursed. While Sophie is dealing with suddenly being an old woman, Howl is attempting to avoid fulfilling the conditions of a curse also placed on him by the Witch of the Waste. And Calcifer, well, he's just trying to stay lit.

I was enthralled from the very first sentence and found this book very difficult to put down. I found the characters quite different but similar to those I already loved from the movie. Sophie is clever, witty, and strong despite that fact that she's very down on herself. She is definitely more of a bossy busybody in the book but it works so well with everything else. She wasn't intimidated by Howl and the way they would go back and forth at each other made their entire relationship so much better.

Like in the movie, Howl is still a highly vain drama king yet is still entirely loveable. The characters in this book are an excellent example of how characters can be flawed and not entirely likable while still be entertaining, multi-dimensional characters. It was perfect and still magically charming! Plus, Howl and Sophie work so well together! I definitely ship them.

So, has my love for the movie been totally wrecked by reading the book? Not at all. Miyazaki's film, while it has the same characters and setting, has a very different plot. Yes, Sophie is turned into an old woman and finds her way into Howl's castle but other than that there are very few other similarities. Which, as it turns out, I like because it feels like I got to enjoy two separate but similar stories.

Howl's Moving Castle is a tale about believing in yourself and being capable of things you didn't even realize you were capable of. It's witty and magical and you'll find yourself loving the characters by the end. Overall, I loved the hell out of this book and really need to read the rest of this series soon!

Audiobook Note: The audiobook is narrated by Jenny Sterlin and she does such a fantastic job as the narrator! Her performance captured the whole atmosphere of the book and really brought the story to life.

    

  5 / 5 Stars

Book 34/30

Book 13- Bus: Main Character Goes On a Journey that Involves Travel

Recommended for fans of:
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner