'Quite simply the best writer of magic there is' Neil Gaiman 'Truly magical . . . Guaranteed to leave you gasping' The Bookseller 'She is the best writer of magical fantasy for children' Evening Standard In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell... Deciding she has nothing more to lose, ...
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'Quite simply the best writer of magic there is' Neil Gaiman 'Truly magical . . . Guaranteed to leave you gasping' The Bookseller 'She is the best writer of magical fantasy for children' Evening Standard In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell... Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, 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 Sophie meets Michael, Howl's apprentice, and Calcifer the fire demon, with whom she agrees a pact. Her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl and Michael and her quest to break her curse come alive with Diana Wynne Jones's unique combination of magic, humour and imagination. From one of the most beloved, bestselling and award-winning fantasy writers of all time.
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I ordered this book to prepare for a summer Book to Movie program. I had enjoyed the anime version and picked up the book to prep for the book discussion component. Howl's Moving Castle is a well written classic. It is smart, funny, and a real page turner. It was hard to put down.
Savannah
Apr 9, 2009
Back at last!
This is my favorite book ever. And that's saying something. I first encountered it when I was 13 and enjoyed it for many years until I reached High School and lent it to a friend who never returned it (but insisted she did). So, doing without my favorite book for a few more years I nearly fainted when I learned that Miyazaki was waking a movie out of it.
I am a big fan of anime and in my opinion, Miyazaki is a genius. I enjoy both versions of the story very much. They are both utterly delightful, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I own the DVD and am about to finally own my own copy of the book again from this site. (One that doesn't have an annoying blob in the corner of the cover saying 'now a major motion picture' that covers up the wonderful art)
Trilless
Nov 2, 2007
Original Fairytale
I chose this book after watching the anime by Studio Ghibli and was delighted with both. Each has their own explanation for the unraveling of events surrounding our heroine Sophie, and both are very enjoyable.
While they do share some plot points, this is one situation where the divergence is just as good as the similarities. It is a unique fairytale that I would highly recommend as a new classic for parents to read with their children.
Josephina
Jun 17, 2007
Great Book
I read the book because I loved the movie. The book and the movie can hardly be compared. It's as though elements from the book were taken for the movie, but a lot of the plot and elements changed drastically. I love them both, but for different reasons. The book has much better explanations of why things are happening, and the plot is much richer. Recommended for kids age 10 and up if they're good readers, 12-13 and up if they're not. Adults will love it too.
