Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

[Weave]

Howl's Moving Castle: Diana Wynne Jones

Amazon ISBN: 0006755232

 

The information:

 

A new look for one of Diana Wynne Jones' funniest and most popular novels. In the land of Ingary, where seven league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, she makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls! There she meets Michael, Howl's apprentice, and Calcifer the Fire Demon, with whom she agrees a pact. But Sophie isn't the only one under a curse - her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl, and Michael, and her quest to break her curse is both gripping - and howlingly funny!

 

Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of Sophie Hatter, who is 18 years old and the eldest daugher of three girls who feels because she is the eldest she can not do anything right. Sophie lives in a world where wizards, witches, talking horses are a part of life with the ever present fear of The Witch of The Waste. The story begins with the background of Sophie's family, which helps you to understand why Sophie feels the way she does. After Sophie's father dies, Sophie begins working in her family's hat shop, while her sisters,Lettie and Martha are sent out into the world to be apprentices, one to a baker and the other to a witch,

as soon as they leave their family home, Martha steals a spell from the witch and changes into Lettie, and goes to work in the bakers and Lettie goes and works for the witch, this is very important to the story

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As the story continues Sophie faces the wrath The Witch of The Wizard and is turned into a 90 year old woman and everything changes for Sophie, she meets Howl...a young wizard who is not only very vain but is in love with Martha's sister, Lettie.

 

You will either love or hate this book and I loved it, the character are great, especially Calcifer (a fire demon) Sophie as a character is sincere but stubborn and Howl has finally met his match. As you read the book you truly want everything to work out for them and you find out there is even more to Howl and Calcifer that meets the eye..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Christie]

I watched this for a media GCSE exam and loved the first 10 mins and then found it on channel 5 a few weeks back! Is the book better than the adapted film?

[Steeeeve]

This is one of those films where they changed it completely. The second half of the film isn't really similar to the second half of the book from what I can remember.

But I think they're equally great. The fact that Miyazaki did change so much means you can't really compare them, just enjoy each of them for what they are.

[Lou]

I agree with Steeeeve, you can't compare the book with the film because they are so different. But I really enjoyed reading the book after I watched the film. Both are in my absolutely favourite list.

I also think that everyone sees the story a bit different. It would be great if there were a second film.

[Kylie]

I read this just recently and adored it. I saw the movie several years ago and can't remember too much of it so I didn't notice any differences between the two.

[diemperdidi]

I love love love the book, and I also love the film. I find it really funny how Welsh the book is (for want of better phrasing) and how the filmmakers didn't (for obvious reasons) understand this and therefore it is not translated into the film at all. They're both brilliant pieces of work in such different ways, which is quite fascinating.