Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Published: 1986
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
Series: Castle series #1
302 pages (paperback)
Summary: Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three daughters, and as the eldest, she has resigned to the idea that she is going to end up with a boring, average life, probably working in her father’s hat shop for the rest of her life. She spends most of her time talking to the hats she makes more than she talks to real people. Unfortunately, her life plan is derailed when she crosses paths with the vain and wicked Witch of the Waste, who casts a spell on Sophie, turning her into a frail 90 year old woman! Sophie is shocked and, after deciding she can’t stay looking like this (what would everyone think if they found out she’s suddenly aged sixty-plus years?!) she leaves town. Sophie hesitantly ends up as the cleaning lady in Wizard Howl’s moving castle, despite the stories that Wizard Howl eats young girl’s hearts — and it turns out Wizard Howl’s next female target is one of Sophie’s younger sisters.
My Thoughts: I decided to pick up the book because I enjoyed Studio Ghibli’s movie version of this story so much. After reading only about halfway, I already knew this book is going down on my list of favourite books of all time. I enjoyed the movie, but the book is so much better, and I discovered there’s so much more to the story and the world of Ingary, where magic is commonplace, than the movie revealed. As I was reading, I kept wishing I could live in Ingary myself! Needless to say, I was completely entranced by the world in the book (much more so than the movie). There is always something happening in the novel, something to hold onto your interest.
Very rarely do I find a female protagonist that I like (I have high standards for female characters, I guess …?), and I adored Sophie, she’s so funny and cute as an old woman. Of course, then there’s Howl, who’s my favourite character in the novel and, I suspect, the favourite character of most other readers of this novel. He may be arrogant and vain beyond belief, but how can anyone not succumb to his charms?! Sophie and Howl’s relationship is one of my favourite book relationships. It starts off as barely acquaintances, and as it develops, it is never explicitly stated that they are having feelings for one another, yet you just know they do from the little things they do for one another. !!!Spoiler alert!!! My favourite part is when Calcifer tells Sophie that the only way he’d believe Howl is in love (with someone else, and not himself as he usually is) is the day he doesn’t spend hours in the bathroom fixing himself up. Then near the end, Howl shows up unshaved and messy looking to save Sophie … ah, I could have died, it was perfect and my heart just swooned. !!!End Spoiler!!! The intricate web of relationships all the characters have can seem a bit confusing and overwhelming at times, especially since there’s some identity switching as well, but the little bit of required mental organization of characters is worth it for the fun, laughs and thrills this book offers.
All in all, this is a book I’d recommend everyone read, especially if you enjoy fairy tale-esque tales. Though the targeted audience is children, this is the kind of story anyone of any age can enjoy!
My Rating: 5/5
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