a nostalgic, whimsical adventure

This is the kind of story I didn't realize I was missing for so long and that I know with certainty I will not soon forget. This story rescued me from an aggravatingly long reading slump and I feel rather indebted to it for returning me to a place reminiscent of silent reading times, hours of staying up to finish just one more chapter, and a feeling of peaceful joy in knowing that there is a place between the pages of a book to be returned to at the end of good and bad days. I think it's a combination of the whimsical, unique characters, lovingly magical world and magic system, and sense of beautiful whimsy that all combine into the story of Howl, Sophie, Michael, Calcifer, and a whole host of friends as well as bad guys. Funnily enough, I listened to the score from the 2004 film version of this story for nearly a whole year before ever even watching the film, and now I've finally read the book. I retraced the steps I usually take, cracking open the book last of all! I am so glad that I asked my friend if I could borrow her copy once she was done reading it and had it with me for a several hour bus ride in which I basically read the whole novel in two days! It's the kind of story I wanted to be fully immersed in the whole time, the kind of story that I'm not only searching to read again, but to write myself. And the main character Sophie felt so relatable throughout the entire story; I liked how she discovered her own powerful magic through the act of simply speaking things into existence and commanding respect. From the subtly sarcastic dialogue, unpredictable characters, unexpected plot twists and consequences as the results of magic, and a heart-warming happy ending, I can confidently say that while the film version is beautiful, it doesn't come anywhere near the well-crafted intricacies of this book. The version I read also had a bonus interview with the author in the back that gave insight on how she views her characters, particularly Howl, and I loved how she recognizes that nearly all of her female readers wish to marry Howl while she herself describes him as the kind of man she would never marry. I think I'd like to try to meet and talk writing with this Diana Wynne Jones someday!


Some of my favorite quotes from Howl's Moving Castle:

"I think we ought to live happily ever after."

"'Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?' she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
'I'm dying of boredom,' Howl said pathetically. 'Or maybe just dying.'"

"A heart's a heavy burden."

"It is quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair."

"I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober."

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