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.

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three daughters, which in this fantasyland means that she's the one who doesn't have an astounding "fortune" to seek. Instead she's stuck at the hat shop. One day a plump, very rude woman comes to see the hats, and Sophie uncharacteristically insults her. Unfortunately, this woman is the Witch of the Wastes, and responds by aging Sophie into a crone. Peeved out of being shy and retiring, she tramps off to the "Moving Castle" of the supposedly evil wizard Howl, who reportedly [steals] out the souls of young girls.

After arriving at the castle, she encounters Howl's pleasant apprentice and contracted fire demon Calcifer (who promises to disenchant Sophie if she breaks his contract). Though she annoys the rather self-absorbed Howl and drives Calcifer almost nuts at times, Sophie becomes the cleaning lady at the Moving Castle. She begins searching for the chewed-up hearts of the girls, only to find something a lot more bizarre -- including her own peculiar magic.

If you've ever read a fairy tale -- Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast -- you'll know that the youngest kids are always are the favored ones. They go on to marry princes or princesses, become wealthy and beloved. Jones mocks this and many other fairy-tale cliches, such as the hilarious scene where Sophie lurches around in seven-league boots. There's even a brief homage to J.R.R. Tolkien.

It's certainly an interesting twist to have a not-so-evil evil-wizard, a harried apprentice, and a heroine who appears to be in her nineties. Similarly, the ideas of the "Moving Castle" with its doors to other places (including modern Wales) is very original. That's not even mentioning the attacking scarecrow.

Until she's aged into a crone, Sophie isn't much of a heroine; she's too timid and dull to be of interest. Post-aging, she becomes interesting and delightfully pushy. Howl is not what you think of a "bad" wizard as; his tantrums over things like hair dye are hysterically funny, and he's also immensely attractive to the opposite sex. Michael is a good sidekick, with the common-sense that Howl lacks; Calcifur the fire demon is one of Jones' most memorable characters, especially when Sophie bullies him.

While it isn't quite as spectacular as Jones' Chrestomanci Chronicles, "Howl's Moving Castle" will appeal to those who liked fantasy spoof "Dark Lord of Derkholm" and "Year of the Griffin." A funny, thought-provoking magical ride.


Delightful tale of magic by Diana Wynne Jones   April 9, 2003
 32 out of 35 found this review helpful

Sophie lives in a small village in the magical land of Ingary. Her village fears the heartless wizard, Howl, whose dark castle insists on circling the village--but it is a wicked witch who suddenly places an aging spell on Sophie, causing her to leave the village and, exhausted, take refuge in Howl's castle.

Filled with finely drawn characters, this is a book accessible for all ages. Perhaps the best part is when the characters visit our world, and we see things through their perspective.

Jones includes bits and pieces of standard fantasy, from fire demons to seven-league boots, but what results is, as always, entirely her own.

Highly recommended. Jones is finally starting to get her due as an author, and this is a good place to start reading her works.


Please! Not JKR, not Tolkien. Give it a chance.   February 3, 2006
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Howl's Moving Castle is, overall, a good book.

That said, I don't think it is even in the same sphere of interest as J. R. R. Tolkien, or J. K. Rowling. The tone is different; DWJ maintains a witty tone, very emotional, but practical as well. She keeps you interested because of the ways her characters act. Sophie is a particularly complex character, and I enjoyed the ways in which she tried to deny her, um, feelings for Howl (especially the weed killer). I found Tolkien to be more detail-oriented, and less character-based. His books weren't as easy (or, in my opinion, interesting) to read. J. K. Rowling? A different story entirely. The three books don't compare, and not because one is better than the other. They're just completely different.

The book and the movie differ as well. At least two people I know, faced with me coaxing them into reading the book after seeing the movie, declined, with the excuse that they didn't think the book would be as good. This is definitely NOT TRUE. Miyazaki couldn't possibly summarize the character's personalities (Sophie's stubbornness and emotionalness; Howl's selfishness, and total escapism, and his courage, bravery, genius and hot! body, haha). He didn't even try. Come on. Even though I love Miyazaki, admire his films, and think he is truly skilled, I don't think this film was at all his best. The characters were saccharine. Sophie was a nice old woman without a lot of personality, and Howl was a seemingly selfish man who turned out to be a flying bird turned war hero turned 'ideal' male lead. And then there was the Witch. She WASN'T GOOD. SHE WAS EVIL. I know I sound pessimistic, and there were parts of the movie that made me love it... but as a movie. I loved this book first, and I was really disappointed with the movie. If you are looking for more Miyazaki, you're out of luck.

The book starts out with Sophie, the responsible sister of two girls constantly in competition and the daughter of a hatter and his new wife, an ex-assistant of the shop. She doesn't believe that she has much chance of striking it rich and living happily ever after. But soon, for reasons somewhat unknown, the Witch of the Waste decides to invade her shop, and turns her into an old woman! Shocked, Sophie soon begins her journey away from the hat shop to cure herself. She ends up staying as a cleaning lady for the notoriously womanizing wizard Howl. Supposedly, he eats hearts. Her encounter with him is complicated, involving two curses, unknown motivations, and all the supporting characters and sub-plots.

The best thing about the book is Sophie's personality. She is actually an honorable person. In the beginning, she seems overly dutiful, and near the middle she can seem immature; but if you look more at the reasons she acts that way, her actual character becomes clear. I like that she's human, and acts in different ways. So that was what made the book for me.

Give this book a chance! It's better than it might seem.


Charming!   February 23, 2001
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Okay, I admit it: I'm a college student. I'm almost 20 years old (my god, that's OLD!) and this is still one of my all-time favorite books. I remember picking up Howl's Moving Castle at the library, many years ago, and Diana Wynne Jones shortly became one of my favorite authors. Her writing is humorous and intelligent, her characters are fascinating and real, and she has an imagination about which words fail me. People may talk about JK Rowling (who is also an amazing writer, not to be missed), but before you rhapsodize about Harry Potter, read about Howl. This book is bewitching; Diana Wynne Jones has charmed me for all time.


The Best Book I've Ever Read!   April 30, 2000
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is, quite simply, the best book I have ever read. I read it first when I was about 12 and have loved it ever since. It is the story of Sophie, the eldest of three sisters who believes that she will never do anything with her life. Through a case of mistaken identity she is transformed into an elderly woman and is forced to leave her old life to seek her fortune in the world. She bullies her way into a magical castle owned by the wizard Howl. Sophie makes friends with Howl's assistant Michael and his Fire Demon Calcifer and together they help Howl to beat the wicked Witch of the Waste. The best thing about this book is the writing, which brings it all to life, particularly when Howl takes Sophie and Michael to visit his sister in Wales. The whole book is fantastic and I have now read it so many times I think I will have to buy a new copy as the old one is looking decidedly the worse for wear. I would recommend this book for anyone who has read other stories by the same author or anyone who just wants to read something exciting and entertaining.