Synopsis

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye. What will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl’s castle?

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused.

(via Amazon)

Review

I honestly do not know where to start with this review. Many years ago, I first fell in love with the film adaptation created by the world-renowned Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. His iconic Studio Ghibli animation mixed with the amazing and beautiful world of the great Diana Jones, mingled together to create, in my humble opinion, a cinematic masterpiece. That being said, there are definitely quite a view noticeable differences between book and film, as there so often is. That is in no way a problem because you feel as though you are getting a whole new adventure when reading the book, if you saw the movie first like I did. Basically, if you enjoyed the movie, I cannot see why you wouldn’t love the book.

One of the first differences I noticed when it came to the book, was the more prominent presence of Sophie’s sisters and stepmother: Lettie, Martha and Fanny. You get more of a backstory of their relationships; how it began since Lettie and Sophie’s birth mom died so their dad remarried Fanny and they had Martha; how their relationships were going at the beginning of the book, and how their relationships end up, since they make another appearance after the climax of the story. Those characters in particular feel much more fleshed out and do not feel as flat and inconsequential.

Sophie at the beginning of the book is about the same as the movie, as far as her resigned attitude about staying in the hat shop. She is more or less settling for the future she believes she is obligated to stick with due to her being the eldest. The first time she meets Howl is different and much less flamboyant than the movie which was a bit lack luster but understandable. Whenever she gets turned into an old lady by the witch, her dialogue as well as internal monologues are hilarious! She is such a typical sassy grandma that I found myself chuckling out loud on several occasions. Her character goes form a meek bump on the log, doing everything everyone expects of her, to somebody who is strong-willed, stubborn and incredibly unpredictable as she discovers the true power she holds.

Howl is another character that I found myself giggling at, mainly at his ridiculous and dramatic quirks and outlandish behavior. He has a complete emotional crisis complete with dark forces being summoned and physically turning into a pile of green goo, all because his roots were not exactly the right shade to match his “perfect and stunning” hair. He has a tendency to lock himself in the bathroom for hours on end perfecting his looks in order to achieve his wishes. He comes off as a selfish and a spoiled brat of a man-child, only for the characters and reader to discover his true nature by the end of the story. He is actually very brave and hopelessly loyal to all those around him. Even if he is very pushy and domineering at times. The romance he has with Sophie is more of a side-plot to the whole story so if you are not too big of a romance fan, no fear as it is really only obvious at the very end of the book.

Calcifer, the fire demon seemed much more serious and realistic in the book and had a more air of melancholy about him. He seemed to have less spunk and more general exhaustion until the end. I enjoyed his relationship to Sophie a lot. They would discuss certain things amongst themselves about their respected curses and experience things together, even keeping certain things away from Howl’s knowledge. They felt like good friends who confided and trusted each other as they could sympathize with each other’s lot.

Micheal, who was Markl in the movie, is Howl’s assistant/protege. He takes on more of a leadership role at times, especially when Howl is out. He is also a bit older in the book and has an interesting plot with one of Sophie’s sisters. He is a worrier who unfortunately finds himself in a whole lot of mess due to his relationship to Howl and Sophie. He works his behind off to help protect their home and clean up after everyone’s mess. One of the more grounded characters I would say which is funny since he is one of the youngest. Very reliable and would do anything for those around him.

The scarecrow, witch of the waste, and dog make appearances as well, albeit under somewhat different circumstances than the book. The ending is quite a bit different for these characters, that honestly felt more realistic, so I was glad about that.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal in this story. From the magic system to the physical description of the castles and towns are so beautifully written that you can hear and smell the ocean and feel the rocking of Howl’s castle that Calcifer so diligently controls throughout the journey. One of my favorite mechanics used in the story is still the door system within Howl’s house. The fact each color on the door signifies a new area on the outside and the fact these anchor points can be changed, is awesome. Basically, a portal system.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the field of flowers Howl creates for Sophie. Just rows and rows of bushes and trees mixed in with ponds full of lilies and butterflies. All growing different types of flowers in various colors over an expansive plain of grass right along the edge of the wastes. That is something else that is expanding in the book: the wastes. You are able to actually experience that area including the witch of the waste’s abode, within the desert-like landscape. There are several other new areas Sophie explores as well including the elusive black speck portal which was not what I was expecting.

The war plot in the movie is nonexistent in the book, which gave way to a more laid back and reading experience. There is still plenty of action and fighting in the book, it is just under different circumstances so do not let that deter you from reading.

All in all, this is truly such a cozy and enjoyable read not just for children, but adults as well. There are two more books in the series that I am definitely going to check out as well, so the journey does not have to stop at the last page 🙂