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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
On the whole I was delighted by this novel. Inventive, lovable characters inhabit a fairy-tale-ish setting that is peppered with bizarre elements that add richness and novelty. Diana Wynne Jones throws a lot at you and expects you to keep up.
Sophie Hatter is a hardworking young hatmaker who gets on the wrong side of a witch and is cursed to turn elderly before her time. She leaves town and stumbles upon the mysterious moving castle of the notorious wizard Howl, who is said to eat the hearts of young women. Emboldened by no longer being a young woman, Sophie talks her way into the household as the cleaning lady, which Howl sorely needs because despite being powerful and important and ethereally gorgeous, his house is a total sty.
I love the way the novel uses fairy tale elements to explore interesting and nuanced real-world concepts - ones that I have not frequently seen in other YA/fantasy novels. In an interview on the movie special features, Diana Wynne Jones explained that the idea for Sophie came about when she became disabled and had to use a cane in her 40s, and experience that made her feel prematurely aged. The book inventively uses the curse to make interesting observations about the ways that aging can both enfeeble and embolden you, and the way that sudden disability can cause you to reflect on your life and change your relationship to work.
Work and exploitation are major themes. I realized this book would go hard early on when Sophie is explaining to her sister that she has to work hard to repay the kindness of their stepmother and the sister says "A person doesn't have to be unkind to you to exploit you." Soon, Sophie is able to take in a similar situation from the outside when she meets Calcifer, the fire demon indentured to Howl. Although Sophie herself volunteers to work for Howl (and she works hard despite his not asking her to and not actually wanting his house cleaned), she feels different about it when she is able to choose the work and discover her unique talents.
I found the ending a little disappointing because the magic gets so complex that it's hard to follow and the books themes aren't carried through in a way that feels satisfying, but I think it's only because the beginning writes such a large check that it's hard to cash. In a short form I will say that my (much shorter) review of 'Dealing With Dragons' applies to this book too: "I like the genre of 'cleaning and organizing wish fulfillment fantasy,' but I do feel uneasy when characters only seem to have the choices between one form of exploitation and another."
Book vs Movie
It's hard not to compare it to the Studio Ghibli movie that I was initially more familiar with. The basic elements of the setup are the same:
Where the book and movie diverge is that Hiyao Miyazaki makes it about war. The Miyazaki setting is more steampunk and higher-tech, and he adds a war plotline, high-intensity war imagery including scenes of Howl fighting bombs as a giant bird and a sequence where the town burns down and the characters have to escape. Since watching "The Boy and the Heron," said to be the most autobiographical of Miyazaki's films, it's clear that the materials that Miyazaki added was very personal to him, reflecting formative experiences of being caught in a town that's on fire during WWII and some kind of traumatic experience with a bird. The two sets of ideas - Wynne Jones's novel and Miyazaki's anti-war message - don't entirely fit together.
It is Sophie's story that I feel is most shafted by the movie. Her curse is the throughline of the book (and the beginning of the movie), but the movie becomes uninterested in it at about the halfway point. Although she continues to visually, gradually de-age in a satisfying way, it feels incidental to the movie's greater interest in Howl and the war. In the book, Sophie becomes more important as the book goes on and she discovers her own magic; the fact that she's magical is not even mentioned in the movie and without it, a lot of explanation is lost (for example, why things she talks to tend to become sentient).
The novel also more convincingly paints a picture of Howl's flaws; he passive-aggressively evades being pinned down to any decision or obligation no matter how small. He is a "slither-outer," as Sophie describes his pathological demand avoidance. The Miyazaki film paints him as quite reasonably opposed to war, which makes his refusal to follow orders a noble quality. It's interesting to see a character who is superficially vain and silly also painted as noble and principled (and the novel Howl is also noble in his moments), but the novel characterization feels more cohesive. Both works make the case that Howl's dirty house and magical tantrums are rooted in depression and neurodivergence, though the novel explores it more.
The movie does lose one storyline that I don't mind losing from the book: there are some bizarre parts where one of the doors in Howl's castle opens up on modern-day Wales. In ways that the other characters don't understand, but we do, it is revealed that he is from the modern world. While there is something interesting about the idea of a reverse portal fantasy (where the POV character is from the fantasy world and our world is on the other side of the portal), ultimately I found this element corny and suspension-of-disbelief-breaking.
On the whole, I tend to prefer the storyline and themes of the book, but the movie adds so much in terms of the beautiful art and character design, and the design of the castle, which is unlike Wynne Jones' description but extremely memorable and unique.
Sophie Hatter is a hardworking young hatmaker who gets on the wrong side of a witch and is cursed to turn elderly before her time. She leaves town and stumbles upon the mysterious moving castle of the notorious wizard Howl, who is said to eat the hearts of young women. Emboldened by no longer being a young woman, Sophie talks her way into the household as the cleaning lady, which Howl sorely needs because despite being powerful and important and ethereally gorgeous, his house is a total sty.
I love the way the novel uses fairy tale elements to explore interesting and nuanced real-world concepts - ones that I have not frequently seen in other YA/fantasy novels. In an interview on the movie special features, Diana Wynne Jones explained that the idea for Sophie came about when she became disabled and had to use a cane in her 40s, and experience that made her feel prematurely aged. The book inventively uses the curse to make interesting observations about the ways that aging can both enfeeble and embolden you, and the way that sudden disability can cause you to reflect on your life and change your relationship to work.
Work and exploitation are major themes. I realized this book would go hard early on when Sophie is explaining to her sister that she has to work hard to repay the kindness of their stepmother and the sister says "A person doesn't have to be unkind to you to exploit you." Soon, Sophie is able to take in a similar situation from the outside when she meets Calcifer, the fire demon indentured to Howl. Although Sophie herself volunteers to work for Howl (and she works hard despite his not asking her to and not actually wanting his house cleaned), she feels different about it when she is able to choose the work and discover her unique talents.
I found the ending a little disappointing because the magic gets so complex that it's hard to follow and the books themes aren't carried through in a way that feels satisfying, but I think it's only because the beginning writes such a large check that it's hard to cash. In a short form I will say that my (much shorter) review of 'Dealing With Dragons' applies to this book too: "I like the genre of 'cleaning and organizing wish fulfillment fantasy,' but I do feel uneasy when characters only seem to have the choices between one form of exploitation and another."
Book vs Movie
It's hard not to compare it to the Studio Ghibli movie that I was initially more familiar with. The basic elements of the setup are the same:
Where the book and movie diverge is that Hiyao Miyazaki makes it about war. The Miyazaki setting is more steampunk and higher-tech, and he adds a war plotline, high-intensity war imagery including scenes of Howl fighting bombs as a giant bird and a sequence where the town burns down and the characters have to escape. Since watching "The Boy and the Heron," said to be the most autobiographical of Miyazaki's films, it's clear that the materials that Miyazaki added was very personal to him, reflecting formative experiences of being caught in a town that's on fire during WWII and some kind of traumatic experience with a bird. The two sets of ideas - Wynne Jones's novel and Miyazaki's anti-war message - don't entirely fit together.
It is Sophie's story that I feel is most shafted by the movie. Her curse is the throughline of the book (and the beginning of the movie), but the movie becomes uninterested in it at about the halfway point. Although she continues to visually, gradually de-age in a satisfying way, it feels incidental to the movie's greater interest in Howl and the war. In the book, Sophie becomes more important as the book goes on and she discovers her own magic; the fact that she's magical is not even mentioned in the movie and without it, a lot of explanation is lost (for example, why things she talks to tend to become sentient).
The novel also more convincingly paints a picture of Howl's flaws; he passive-aggressively evades being pinned down to any decision or obligation no matter how small. He is a "slither-outer," as Sophie describes his pathological demand avoidance. The Miyazaki film paints him as quite reasonably opposed to war, which makes his refusal to follow orders a noble quality. It's interesting to see a character who is superficially vain and silly also painted as noble and principled (and the novel Howl is also noble in his moments), but the novel characterization feels more cohesive. Both works make the case that Howl's dirty house and magical tantrums are rooted in depression and neurodivergence, though the novel explores it more.
The movie does lose one storyline that I don't mind losing from the book: there are some bizarre parts where one of the doors in Howl's castle opens up on modern-day Wales. In ways that the other characters don't understand, but we do, it is revealed that he is from the modern world. While there is something interesting about the idea of a reverse portal fantasy (where the POV character is from the fantasy world and our world is on the other side of the portal), ultimately I found this element corny and suspension-of-disbelief-breaking.
On the whole, I tend to prefer the storyline and themes of the book, but the movie adds so much in terms of the beautiful art and character design, and the design of the castle, which is unlike Wynne Jones' description but extremely memorable and unique.
Hard to follow and too much like other books I've read.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the best book by Diana Wynne Jones that I've read thusfar. I read her Chrestomanci series and enjoyed them, but the series has a dark and sinister atmosphere and some very mean characters in them. On the other hand, Howl's Moving Castle is lighthearted and funny, while still having the typical magical atmosphere and the double layer of things that are going on - both of which are characteristically Diana Wynne Jones.
Writing style
The author took writing classes from C. S. Lewis and it shows. In my humble opinion, Howl's Moving Castle reads like a book by Lewis, but better. You could say it reads like a crossover between Lewis and Terry Pratchett. The humor is sublime. No doubt Pratchett was influenced by Jones in his writing. I also enjoyed the many plot twists and new insights into magic throughout the whole book. There are no predictable parts: you never see coming what's next.
Characters
The characters are well written: they have their flaws but are loveable nonetheless. The inhabitants of the castle grow out to be a family. The romance is not your typical love story and I liked that.Sophie can handle the charismatic, but childish Howl; nobody of the women he woed before meeting her would have worked out. Both are equally strong minded and strong with magic in their own unique way. This makes them realistic characters, capable of true love (not in the popular romantic way).
Sophie is very practical but doesn't think things through, which creates many hilarious moments. She is an epic protagonist. You even grow to like Howl, even though he initially seems vain, dismissive, unpredictable and childish. In the end, you can tell from his actions (many of which he keeps hidden) that he is a good and generous man. He is a Chrestomanci-like character: powerful and flawed, but kind and wise in his own way. Grumpy Calcifer - supposedly evil, because he is a demon - turns out to be extremely loveable. He is both hilarious and adorable.
Opinion
I understand why this is Jones' most famous book: I enjoyed every page of it. It deserves a solid five stars.
Apparently, there's a part 2 and 3 to Howl's Moving Castle. I already ordered them secondhand online when I was only halfway through the book - I cannot wait for them to arrive.
Writing style
The author took writing classes from C. S. Lewis and it shows. In my humble opinion, Howl's Moving Castle reads like a book by Lewis, but better. You could say it reads like a crossover between Lewis and Terry Pratchett. The humor is sublime. No doubt Pratchett was influenced by Jones in his writing. I also enjoyed the many plot twists and new insights into magic throughout the whole book. There are no predictable parts: you never see coming what's next.
Characters
The characters are well written: they have their flaws but are loveable nonetheless. The inhabitants of the castle grow out to be a family. The romance is not your typical love story and I liked that.
Sophie is very practical but doesn't think things through, which creates many hilarious moments. She is an epic protagonist. You even grow to like Howl, even though he initially seems vain, dismissive, unpredictable and childish. In the end, you can tell from his actions (many of which he keeps hidden) that he is a good and generous man. He is a Chrestomanci-like character: powerful and flawed, but kind and wise in his own way. Grumpy Calcifer - supposedly evil, because he is a demon - turns out to be extremely loveable. He is both hilarious and adorable.
Opinion
I understand why this is Jones' most famous book: I enjoyed every page of it. It deserves a solid five stars.
Apparently, there's a part 2 and 3 to Howl's Moving Castle. I already ordered them secondhand online when I was only halfway through the book - I cannot wait for them to arrive.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book has been a magical escape for me these past few weeks. An enchanting and fun story, it feels like a little masterpiece to me. Although not perfect, I think its many pretty details make up for some of the less ideal aspects of the pacing. Though slow at times, I believe it gave me time to absorb myself in the setting. I really felt like I got to follow Sophie on her adventure and feel what she felt. I got to watch Howl, Calcifer, and Michael as if I were in the castle with them. I absolutely adore Diana Wynne Jones's wonderful way of phrasing and writing dialogue. I believe it really pulls everything together and makes this story so perfect in my eyes. I am very content and hope to read more from her in the future!
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes