Bonus: Howl's Moving Castle

A Greenwillow Book

Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones
1986

The Summary
"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."

The Good
Howl's Moving Castle is a strange and fantastical piece of fiction.  The characters are unusual, but they're incredibly fun:  Howl is an odd creature, full of spite and pride, and he preens like a peacock; Sophie is cranky and sorely missing her younger years, but she has a lot of sass and a great deal of insight; Calcifer, like Howl, has a unique attitude that sees him alternating between grumpy and smoldering, bright and fiery.

Diana Wynne Jones does an excellent job of fleshing out her characters.  She gives Howl and Sophie, Calcifer and Michael, among others, a great deal of leeway, letting them grow and evolve as characters.  I was especially intrigued by Sophie:  I couldn't wait to see what would happen, and how she would grow into her new life with Howl.

While I did sometimes feel like I was missing pieces of the story--Howl was very bad about offering any sort of explanation, and I don't think I ever quite understood Howl as "Howell" who comes from the mysterious land of Wales--because circumstances were always changing so quickly, I remained enthralled by the story.

Magic is unique in the land of Ingary, which is what made it so strangely enchanting.  It's different from character to character.  For instance, Michael's magic is different from Howl's whose magic is different from the Witch of the Waste's.  Howl has a natural capacity for magic and enchanting, whereas Michael works best with spells and potions and mixtures, and Sophie weaves magic unexpectedly into whatever project she works.  It's intriguing to see how magic builds, develops and, more importantly, affects those around it.

Overall, I really enjoyed Jones' novel.  It's a book I would definitely recommend reading at least once, especially if you intend to watch the Miyazaki movie rendition.

The Bad
I have to admit, I was sometimes confused by the story.  Since Howl proved reticent about his past and how to use magic (expect when it proved beneficial to himself) and just about everything else, I found I didn't always understand what was happening.  Moreover, I always had moments where I'd realized things had changed--and then I'd look back, wondering where I'd missed such an astonishing development.

The Ugly
Howl isn't a good person.  He isn't evil, but he also isn't the best person upon which to rely.  He alternates between vain, selfish, and fickle--and, while he might sometimes affect a selfless attitude, he's a terrible coward and has to force himself to do anything remotely resembling brave.  Even the author points out that he would make a wonderfully horrible friend, partner, or husband, saying, "My opinion of Howl is that, much as I love him, he is the last person I would want to marry.  Apart from anything else, I would want to get in the bathroom sometimes."