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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
Enjoyed it a lot more than I've ever enjoyed the movie. The copy I read on Kindle Unlimited included an interview with Diana Wynne Jones, and iirc the very first question was "what do you think of everyone wanting to marry Howl?" and I was like wow... so all the girlies want a high maintenance yappy dog boyfriend... they're just like me fr. Female solidarity is beautiful.
My only complaint is Howl being apparently about a decade older than Sophie but whatever, the eighties were Different and I will take 10-years-older-but-immature-as-hell over whatever is going on with romantasy and its centuries-old love interests getting together with 19-year-olds. Ironically Howl's Moving Castle is remarkably progressive in its handling of common fairy tale tropes, especially compared to your average modern fairy tale retelling. Misogyny needs addressing, duh, but also why must we do it in a way where it ends up being a 400+ page struggle session for our MC and she still ends up with a guy who will run her life for her like he's her dad (not always in theory but certainly always in practice)? This is precisely what cringey American Evangelical tradcons believe but this stuff is being written by supposedly liberal, supposedly feminist women. Gets the noggin joggin don't it.
Anyway: Howl's Moving Castle is good and I think you should read it, even if you are an adult. If you're like me and don't really care for the movie you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm just sad this wasn't part of my childhood.
My only complaint is Howl being apparently about a decade older than Sophie but whatever, the eighties were Different and I will take 10-years-older-but-immature-as-hell over whatever is going on with romantasy and its centuries-old love interests getting together with 19-year-olds. Ironically Howl's Moving Castle is remarkably progressive in its handling of common fairy tale tropes, especially compared to your average modern fairy tale retelling. Misogyny needs addressing, duh, but also why must we do it in a way where it ends up being a 400+ page struggle session for our MC and she still ends up with a guy who will run her life for her like he's her dad (not always in theory but certainly always in practice)? This is precisely what cringey American Evangelical tradcons believe but this stuff is being written by supposedly liberal, supposedly feminist women. Gets the noggin joggin don't it.
Anyway: Howl's Moving Castle is good and I think you should read it, even if you are an adult. If you're like me and don't really care for the movie you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm just sad this wasn't part of my childhood.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Fun, jaunty children’s fantasy!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
The movie was definitely the thing I preferred but this does add a lot to the narrative that I didn't originally understand and didn't expect.
