Reviews

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Only show reviews with written explanations

justkrissy's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

4.0

Wonderfully magical!

The majority of us are well versed in Studio Ghibli's version of Howl's Moving Castle, so it's really neat picking apart the two mediums. While the film has a more romantic, whimsical feeling to it, the novel is a smidge more gritty while keeping it's magical flare. It's nice to see the bones which made up my favorite movie of all time.

If you can believe it, Howl is even more of a snarky drama queen. Sophie is as hardheaded as ever. Now the Witch of the Waste was a shock. She seems so docile in the film compared to how she is on paper; truly an evil woman.

I'd really recommend reading the novel if you love the movie. It's great to make connections and see what was taken from the story to build what felt like a new one. Incredibly funny, and of course, magical in many ways. Adding this to the "cozy fantasy" pile, for sure!

bex_martel's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

1957s's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Me ayudó a entender la forma de actuar de los personajes en la película, pero bastante aburrido la verdad.

rizzy45's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

samhanson's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.25

wynwicket's review

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adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

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

So chaotic, so lovely, and a complete treat to read. I adore our heroes: Sophie is shy and full of self doubt--she is also self sacrificing and angry and fierce and wonderfully stubborn. Howl is shallow and vain and scared and kind and adopts wayward friends without judgement or expectation of repayment. They're both a mess and very real for that.

The film and the book compliment each other beautifully, but I think I prefer the book.