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erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book is certainly clearer to understand than the film. It is made clear that Sophie interacts with inanimate objects and respects them more than most people, but because it's her "normal" she doesn't realise that the things she says to the things that she talks to or makes are taken to heart by those items. She is innately magical, but does not see it. This has a subversive, dreamy quality, and I could see how it would be inspirational to a young reader... what if I am magical too, and I just haven't noticed, or figured out the trick of it?
A lot of the little descriptions in the books are rendered in the movie very faithfully. Little things like feeding eggshells to the fire have been faithfully captured in the animated version, though as is always the case, the movie just doesn't have the scope to unpack all the backstory provided in the book.
I am very glad that I got the chance to check this version out, as it fills out a lot more of a story that I already loved. It would be a great read for the 10+ age group.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Body horror, and Confinement
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Mental illness
Minor: War and Death
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I'm so glad I did because I have fallen madly in love. (But I was hella disappointed to find out the movie is vastly different.) Every single character is absolutely charming and unique and so damn memorable and I can't remember ever reading a book in which I belly-laughed so hard. The humor was just so perfectly placed without distracting the reader from the seriousness of Sophie's whole predicament. Sophie and Howl's relationship was so touching and I enjoyed how they developed from bickering constantly to... well... read the book and you'll see!
I just loved it. Loved it so so so so much. I can't describe it any more words.
Graphic: Confinement and Body horror
Moderate: Death
Minor: Violence
ghostnaps's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Murder, Body horror, and War
macliffe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Minor: Body horror and Alcohol
naiu_cs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Body horror and Death
bookish_bry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Body horror and Death
singalana's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Death, and Kidnapping
deezy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Death of parent
namzuru's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the only thing was chapter 11. it changed the whole vibe of the book for me. i kinda just choose to forget that whole chapter but it does give some backstory to howl.
fav quotes:
-"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.”
- “Things are going round and round in my head--or maybe my head is going round and round in things.”
Moderate: Body horror
merle_bookdragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Who me? I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober. ... What a lie that was! ... My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.
Oh my goodness, what an absolute joy of a book. I've seen the movie approximately 50 times and I was so happy when I got gifted the beautiful Folio Society edition and then it stood in my shelf for a year. But I finally got to read it as part of my university bookclub and I absolutely loved it (as was to be expected.)
I am usually not the biggest reader of introductions but in this case I was very happy I did because it was informative and funny and taught me things that made the story even more special. For example that Diana Wynne Jones came from Wales, that she had juvenile rheumatism and that she attended lectures by both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I really enjoyed her storytelling and her creation of this world which is such a delightful mix of fairy tales, myth, and folklore and went on to inspire many more.
The story itself surprised me in the places in which it differed from the movie, which kept me on my toes to anticipate any changes that were made. Both Howl and Sophie are much more ... assertive and rude? :D And I don't mean that in an entirely negative way it just surprised me a little. I read a couple days ago that the book is the story told from Sophie's perspective and the movie is the story as Howl likes to tell it. And I think that is very accurate because Howl sure is more annoying that he is made out to be in the movie.
I enjoyed having to rethink some relationships and names that might've appeared in the movie but were connected differently in the book like Mrs Pentstemmon, the Witch of the Waste, the king, Michael, Sophie's sisters... basically most of them. But since the Ghibli movie was made to convey a very specific message and chose a specific route for that, I can totally see why changes were made and some things were left out. Still I would've loved to see animated Howl in rugby uniform.
I will most definitely reread this many times and extend my tabs and notes. I shall recommend this to everyone and I've also added the artbook for the movie to my wishlist :D
Megan's full of envy because she's respectable and I'm not.
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury