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.
Howl's Moving Castle
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From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up Sophie Hatter reads a great deal and soon realizes that as the eldest of three daughters she is doomed to an uninteresting future. She resigns herself to making a living as a hatter and helping her younger sisters prepare to make their fortunes. But adventure seeks her out in the shop where she sits alone, dreaming over her hats. The wicked Witch of the Waste, angered by "competition" in the area, turns her into a old woman, so she seeks refuge inside the strange moving castle of the wizard Howl. Howl, advertised by his apprentice as an eater of souls, lives a mad, frantic life trying to escape the curse the witch has placed on him, find the perfect girl of his dreams and end the contract he and his fire demon have entered. Sophie, against her best instincts and at first unaware of her own powers, falls in love. So goes this intricate, humorous and puzzling tale of fantasy and adventure which should both challenge and involve readers. Jones has created an engaging set of characters and found a new use for many of the appurtenances of fairy talesseven league boots and invisible cloaks, among others. At times, the action becomes so complex that readers may have to go back to see what actually happened, and at the end so many loose ends have to be tied up at once that it's dizzying. Yet Jones' inventiveness never fails, and her conclusion is infinitely satisfying. Sara Miller, White Plains Public Library, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A witty, rollicking fantasy." -- -- ALA Booklist
"Wit and humor glint from the pages." -- -- The Horn Book --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Wit and humor glint from the pages." -- -- The Horn Book --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By yvette
Format:Paperback
You may be reading this because you've recently watched the Miyazaki interpretation of Howl's Moving Castle. If you're wondering whether or not you should bother to read the book, the answer is YES!! This is an excellent book, one of my favourites. Miyazaki only skimmed the surface of its depths. He also altered the story and some of the characters so read with an open mind and prepare to fall in love with Sophie, Howl, Calcifer (who, by the way is blue not orange), Michael (not Markl and actually a teenager), and all the magic that goes with them.
Diana Wynne Jones is much more subtle with her lessons in the book than Miyazaki is in the movie so don't expect the "war is bad" and "love is good" lessons to be thrown in your face. In fact, there isn't even a war in the book! That was something that was added in the jump from page to screen.
Quick, go read the book! (The sequel is Castle in the Air... also very good and ironically the title of another very different Miyazaki film.)
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Seeing the movie adaptation from Studio Ghibli made me want to know of the original story. And although this impressive piece of litterature takes nothing off the movie, I like the books way best.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I decided to pick this book up because I really enjoyed the Ghibli movie version. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the book, but I would say it was above my expectations. The storyline strays a fair bit from the movie, but I feel it has much more depth to it. I strongly suggest giving it a read!
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4.7 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Delight
Very entertaining with unexpected twists and turns throughout.
My usual reading runs towards complex military thrillers and hard scifi, but i had heard some good buzz... Read more
My usual reading runs towards complex military thrillers and hard scifi, but i had heard some good buzz... Read more
Published 11 months ago by garthcp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant -- a funny, well written and wholly original tale!
In 2009, for the first time, I saw Hayao Miyazaki's rendition of Howl's Moving Castle and I loved it. It was brilliant and funny, and beautiful to look at. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lear Jet
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic!
I first read this book years ago and have re-read it many times since. If you are considering buying it I say go for it, it's a great read, even better than the movie.
Published on Feb 13 2010 by Josepha K
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the movie!
With characters like Howl and Sophie around, it's hard not to laugh. When the Witch transforms Sophie into an old woman, Sophie finds herself strangely freed. Read more
Published on July 27 2009 by Vanessa M. Dow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Howlingly good
A fantastically funny tale of witches, wizards, demons and magic, all rolled up into an entertaining book for all ages. Read more
Published on Oct 8 2006 by Amanda Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars
Um, YEAH!
Well then. Since you are reading this review, I can only assume that you are on the book's page. My advice to you is: Scroll up, add it to you cart, and buy immediately! Read more
Published on Jun 28 2004 by 3ES
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting Adventure
Howl's Moving Castle is an excellent fantasy story. It deals with Sophie, the oldest of three sisters. She believes, as the oldest of the three, she is doomed to a bad fate. Read more
Published on May 10 2004 by T. Hooper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absurdly Wonderful
Hold on a second while I tie my gaping-in-awe-and-amazement mouth shut. Howl's Moving Castle is by far the best book I have read of Diana Wynne Jones. Read more
Published on April 11 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
A throughly charming read!
This is such a charming little book. I purposely didn't read the back blurb and as such wasn't sure what to expect when I began the book (just had some vague memory of positive... Read more
Published on April 1 2004 by BarkLessWagMore
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it
I loved this book. It was one of those when you're reading it, you want to be in it. A lucky find at a booksale (50c, can't beat the price), it's the story of Sophie, the eldest of... Read more
Published on Mar 30 2004 by V. Ludas
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