Module 8: Howl's Moving Castle

Book summary: As the eldest of three daughters, Sophie was never destined for greatest. So when she is visited, and cursed, by the Witch of the Waste, Sophie escapes to the dreaded moving castle of Wizard Howl. During this time, she must learn to live with the temperamental Wizard Howl, his young apprentice Michael, and the nasty fire demon Calcifer. As their time together progresses, Sophie embarks on a journey to self-discovery that reaps more benefits than she knows, learning that there is more to Howl than meets the eye.

APA Reference of book: Jones, D.W. (1986). Howl’s moving castle. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Impressions: I was not particularly impressed with this book, mainly because I felt the characters differed from the Studio Ghibli movie version. The writing was very verbose without being descriptive, especially with the backgrounds, and I did not feel a connection to the characters. Howl was playboy-ish and manipulative, while Calcifer was conniving and rude. That being said, I did enjoy the premise of the story: a mysterious wizard who lives in a moving castle that is not well-known, or trusted, by anyone he meets. The unlikely grouping of naïve Michael, steadfast Sophie, flamboyant Howl, and sarcastic Calcifer make for an interesting core.

Professional Review: “Sophie is caught between a powerful witch and wizard who are terrorizing the magical land of Ingary. Living a humdrum life as a hatter till the malicious Witch of the Waste casts a spell turning her into an old woman, Sophie seeks refuge as cleaning woman to Wizard Howl (although he's rumored to eat the hearts of young girls) in his castle, which moves at will about the countryside. Actually, Howl is a brash young man whose only vice is womanizing. He is a gifted wizard but the despair of his inept apprentice and of Calcifer, a humorously petulant fire demon, because of such human faults as messiness and spending too long in the bath. As in her memorable Archer's Goon, Jones has a plethora of characters who are seldom what they seem and an intricate plot which may dazzle with its complexity or delight by the hilarious common-sense consequences of its preposterous premises. Sophie is a dauntless heroine; when she regains her youth and wins Howl, the odds are this is only the beginning of a tempestuous romance. Great fun.”

Reference

[Review of the book Howl’s moving castle, by D.W. Jones]. (1986 April 14). Kirkus. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/diana-wynne-jones/howls-moving-castle/.

Library Uses: This would be a selection for a “Book to Movie” book club. At the meeting, we would discuss our impressions of the book, watch the Studio Ghibli version of “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and then discuss similarities and differences between the two mediums.