Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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Howl's Moving Castle

(#1 - Howl's Castle)

September 25, 2012 / 340 pages / Fiction

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

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Coming of age

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Fantasy world

Love

Magic

Destiny

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I liked the premise of Hayao Miyazaki's animated adaptation but the second part of that film disappointed me. One major let-down was the characterisation of Sophie and the Witch of Waste. I feel that it's too old-fashioned and somewhat sexist. The book managed to be consistent throughout the story and it's much to my liking. Here Sophie has a more interesting and believable personality and there are more interactions and friendship between characters than just romantic love. The story is a bi

Grade: B / vlucia / May 5, 2015

The magical world created by Jones is so much fun and is well realized. Sophie's character goes through a nice coming of age story arc as she learns to deal with the witch's curse. The world is probably the best part of the story since it contrasts so starkly with the 'real' world.

Grade: B– / Obie / Dec 30, 2015

This book was a delightful read. The story is unique and compelling and the characters are all enjoyable if not lovable (at least by my standards). I experienced both the feeling of not being able to get enough and then also needing to draw out the ending. I'm adding this book to my favorites list and I plan to re-read it many times in my life; I'm moving on to read the rest of the series immediately. I couldn't recommend this book enough, it fulfilled me in every way that a book possibly can.

Grade: A / exsixtwosix / Mar 13, 2016

Very imaginative, I was in love with right up until the the last few pages. Then it's as if the writer just wanted it finished and gave up. Ended way too quickly and left way too many questions unanswered. Still, it's a fun read when you are looking for something fantasy but are sick of dragons and wizards.

Grade: A– / Kimmu-chan / May 8, 2016

Fairy tale tropes are enjoyable, especially when the author knows they exist, makes the reader aware of them, and then decides not to work with them except as a comment to the reader and as an accepted way of life in Ingary. Sophie live is Ingary, is the eldest of 3 daughters and therefore will never go on an adventure to seek her fortune. Except her little sister manages to offend a witch, and the witch then mistakes Sophie for said little sister and curses Sophie. Sophie is not happy!

Grade: C / Bug

/ Nov 28, 2015

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