Genre: YA/Children Fantasy
Publication: 1986
After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls.
The Hatter sisters— Sophie, Lettie, and Martha— and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.
In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?
My Thoughts: The first I've ever heard of Howl's Moving Castle was of the film version directed by Hayao Miyazak and loved it! Later I learned that it was originally written as a book by Diana Wynne Jones and I immediately wanted to jump on it. Normally I find the book better than the movie but in this case even though the film was based on the book it was still very different from it, resulting in not being able to choose which was better because they are both really great. Now onto the book because this is not a movie review.
From the very beginning I was really into this book. It's full of charm, wonderful magic and has a fairly decent plot. The plot itself was rather slow in my opinion but in the end it all comes together nicely. I really liked all of the characters, especially Calcifer and Michael, and found the dialogue enjoyable as well, although admittedly, I became annoyed with Sophie after a while. I liked her... but poor Howl! She never gave the guy a break! I guess I would be negative too if I had a curse thrown on me to make me seem decades older, and perhaps her moods were also fueled by jealousy, but her constant nagging and complaining about Howl was a bit tiresome... because all she really had to do was TALK to him. That is basically the only thing I didn't like about this book. Howl himself was an intriguing character but I think in real life I'm not sure if I would like him. Reading about him in this story is great because he's mysterious, and deep down has a kind heart, but he is a bit of a player and really knows how to throw a tantrum.
The magic was great! In this alternate reality where wizards and witches really exist there is a ton of magic to be had. A fire demon who maintains a moving castle, spells that harm and spells that aid, a door that opens to different areas and towns, and unfortunate souls who have been cursed with altered shapes and appearances. I really love magic so the variety here was nice. But the magic wasn't the only good thing about the story because the characters also brought lots of life to it with some funny and witty dialogue.
Although Diana Wynne Jone's book Howl's Moving Castle has its shortcomings, the pure charm and its lovable characters makes this a really enjoyable YA/Children's fantasy story.
My Rating: 4/5
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