Book Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Jones, Diana Wynne. Howl's Moving Castle. New York: HarperCollins, 1986. 336 pages.

Now one of my favorite books, Howl's Moving Castle was given to me by a very good friend while we were in high school. At first I was skeptical, how could a fantasy book be so compelling post Harry Potter? Well since it was a gift, I decided to give it a chance, and I loved it. The story was light, but empowering as it regaled the tale of Sophie Hatter. Growing up in the land of Ingary, Sophie believed that she was never destined for greatness because she was the oldest of three sisters. Sophie wasn't the most beautiful like middle sister Lettie, nor was she given good fortune like her youngest sister Martha. Sophie didn't even have an evil stepmother to brag about since Fannie her stepmother was perfectly cordial. When Mr. Hatter died, Fannie even made arrangements for each of the daughters to be taken care of in some way--Martha became the apprentice of a witch, Lettie began work in a bakery, and Sophie stayed in the shop to learn the hat trade and eventually inherit the shop.

Sophie soon becomes bored with the routine and loneliness the accompanied working in the back rooms of the shop. Her life was looking bleaker and bleaker until one day Sophie's life is turned upside down when she gets on the bad side of the wicked Witch of the Waste, who subsequently places Sophie under a spell that ages her about 60 years. Needless to say being cursed wasn't exactly what Sophie was looking for, but it became her excuse to leave home and seek out the help of the Wizard Howl. As an old lady, Sophie finds it easier to speak her mind and not care so much about what other people think--and so she cons her way into staying at Howl's home (a moving castle with a magical door that opens to multiple portals) under the guise of being the hired cleaning lady. The novel chronicles Sophie, the Wizard Howl, his apprentice Michael, and the fire demon Calcifer and their adventures as a dysfunctional magical family. Will any of them ever break free from their mysterious curses?

Jones writes in such a way that transplants the reader to a different land that the reader will never want to leave. Filled with action, magic and complexity, readers will find something to love about the larger-than-life characters, with personalities so varied and vibrant that readers won't know what to expect next. Something fun to do would be to read the book before watching the movie, and readers will have a great time picking out differences and analyzing why the directors chose to change certain details. This book would be enjoyed by both girls and boys, and I would imagine anyone from ages 10-17 would be able to enjoy it, especially those who enjoy books with magic such as The Golden Compass .