Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Howl's Moving Castle
Book Review: "I think we should live happily ever after."
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book! It is full of humor, memorable characters, magic spells and fire demons. Not many authors can pull off a novel with the two main characters being a 90-year-old woman and a self-centered and vain wizard. Diana Wynne Jones pulls it off with panache, and leaves readers with a thoroughly contented feeling at the finish.
For those who enjoy Caroline Stevermer, Patricia C. Wrede, Teresa Edgerton (sadly out of print) and J. K. Rowling, this book is right up your alley. Jones is certainly an author I shall be looking into regularly in the future. Luckily for us all, she has written several books.
Book Review: 'We can't all be Mad Hatters'
Summary: 5 Stars
Even a short study of fairy tales will show that in any family of 3 siblings, the youngest will make his or her fortune, but the eldest will come off worst - Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Puss in Boots, to name three - and Sophie Hatter, eldest of the three Hatter sisters, has been very well educated indeed; so much so that upon her father's death, the sisters discover that he was deep in debt over their school fees. Sophie has always backed up Fanny, her stepmother, in working to make sure that Martha, the youngest, is prepared to make her way in the world; it's no surprise that Fanny has arranged for Martha to study with Mrs. Fairfax (a good witch), Lettie to be apprenticed in a pastry shop, and Sophie in the family hat shop.Sophie gets very lonely trimming hats, being set apart as the boss' daughter, and throws herself too much into her work - although she pays attention to customers' gossip about Wizard Howl, who's said to steal the souls of young girls and eat their hearts. On May Day, Sophie finally ventures out to visit Lettie at the pastry shop - but Lettie and Martha have swapped places on the sly. *Lettie's* the one who wants to go on learning, while Martha wants to socialize, settle down, and raise a big family. They're both worried about Sophie having hypnotized herself with the theory that she can't amount to anything, being the eldest. :)
Before Sophie makes up her mind to rebel, her future takes a new turn: the Witch of the Waste comes to call at the hat shop, looking for the upstart 'Miss Hatter' - and curses Sophie, aging her from her twenties to her eighties, with the added touch that Sophie can't speak of the spell to anyone who doesn't know it already. Sophie faces up to the challenge - 'of course I shall have to do for her when I get the chance' - and walks out of the hat shop on the spot to seek her fortune. With no clear destination in mind, she seeks out Howl's castle just outside town.
Being old is the making of Sophie; she doesn't care anymore about being embarrassed, and is a *very* outspoken old woman indeed, and bossy - not at all the downtrodden mouse she was becoming in the hat shop. She bullies her way past Michael, Howl's young apprentice, and takes a seat by the hearth, claiming to be waiting for Howl (after all, he's only interested in young girls). Calcifer, the fire demon under contract to Howl, can see the Witch's spell, and offers her a deal - if she'll stay and find a way to break his contract, he'll figure out how to break the spell. And how will she make an excuse for staying? Well, Howl may be a wizard, but this *is* a bachelor household. 'I'm your new cleaning lady, of course.' :) (What better excuse for searching the place - and just generally being nosy?)
Nice touch: 'heartless Howl' isn't *evil*, and he only devours the hearts of young girls in a manner of speaking. As Michael says, 'We've had lawsuits, and suitors with swords, and mothers with rolling pins, and fathers and uncles with cudgels. And aunts. Aunts are terrible. They go for you with hatpins.' Howl cultivates a bad reputation professionally mainly to keep customers from imposing on him, but it's not working...
Book Review: A "moving" experience!
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a school librarian I am always looking for something I can recommend to the kids...I will enjoy very much recommending this book. I read 2-3 pbs a week so rarely consider rereading a book, yet Howl's Moving Castle is making me think this is one to reread. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the magic! I obviously need to read more of Jones' books.Book Review: A Castle that moves, how amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you ever wanted to own a hat shop? No, probably not, seems a little dull. Well, how about trade bodies with your sister? Or, Be a maid for a wizard? Maybe, make a deal with a fire demon? Walk in seven league boots? Those seem much more exciting don't they? Well, Sophie has to stay home and work at the hat shop, while her two sister go to be apprentices, and switch bodies. Well, Sophie isn't too excited about this, but she gets turned into and elderly woman and goes to seek her fortune, which is unlucky for the eldest child to do. But she does. And enters Howl's Moving Castle. Where she makes a deal with a fire demon and becomes a maid to Wizard Howl.
There is much to the story and i will give no more away, that would take away the fun, wouldn't it? So, all i can say is READ IT, PLEASE! It's great!
It is coming to theaters in 2004, anime.
Book Review: A Good Read
Summary: 4 Stars
I hadn't read any of Diana Wynne Jones' books before I'd watched Miyazaki's take on Howl's Moving Castle. It seemed that the movie had left out certain plot points leaving it a bit on the confusing side. So, I picked up the book, curious.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It is certainly a good book for young adults or readers who enjoy fantasy books such as Brian Jacques' Redwall. There are many wonderfully created events and experiences that are sure to delight.
More advanced readers will find that it lacks a continuous driving dramatic plot. There isn't quite the rising action and climax as all excellent fiction has. It does have a climax, but we don't see it coming till nearly the very end, when it just seems to happen.
The changes in the movie contain a rising action for the plot. It does increase the danger and excitement in the viewer, whereas the book does not.
Oddly, the book and movie together create something that compliments both and further explains and fleshes out the story and characters.
Regardless, I'd wholly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and a good story.