The eldest of three sisters and therefore (by her own resigned logic) destined for nothing, Sophie is cursed into an old woman's body -- and moves into the castle of a feared wizard.
About This Book
A practical young hatter, cursed by a jealous witch into the body of an old woman, flees her village and takes refuge as a cleaner in the walking, magical castle of the notorious wizard Howl, a vain, dramatic, and secretly kind-hearted young man, and finds herself tangled in curses, contracts, and a war she means to end. Jones writes fantasy of enormous charm and wit, subverting fairy-tale conventions with a heroine who becomes more herself, bolder and sharper, as an old woman than she ever was as a girl. The pacing is fast, the tone funny and warm, the magic whimsical, the characters, especially the melodramatic Howl and the fire demon Calcifer, delightful. What distinguishes it is the intelligence beneath the whimsy, its sly play with fairy-tale expectations, and the genuine feeling that develops between its prickly leads. This is a book for readers of any age who want charming, witty fantasy, who love a spirited heroine and a subverted fairy tale, and who want warmth, humor, and a satisfying romance. Readers wanting epic stakes or dark complexity should note the pleasures are those of charm, character, and clever invention rather than grand drama. What makes it beloved, and it inspired a famous Miyazaki film that differs from it considerably, is Sophie herself, whose curse ironically frees her to speak her mind, and the delightful ensemble around her. The moving castle, with its four different doors opening onto four different places, is a wonderful invention. Funny, heartfelt, and endlessly charming, it is one of the great comfort fantasies, and a perfect entry point to Jones's inventive body of work.
Who This Is For
Best for readers who want genuine wit: sharp, clever writing that earns its laughs. The prose is accessible: you can read this quickly and it never asks too much of you. It moves quickly: once you're in, it's hard to stop. If you need emotional weight in your reading, the lightness here may frustrate.
Best Read When
Best read when you're in the mood for something funny and clever, and a read that's fast and propulsive.
What It Explores
Howl's Moving Castle explores identity and the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be, love in its most complicated forms, and growing up and what gets lost in the process.
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