Howl's Moving Castle Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B001LFBO1C | Format: EPUB
Howl's Moving Castle Description
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book and ALA Notable and Best of the Year in Young Adult Fiction,
Howl's Moving Castle is by acclaimed fantasy writer Diane Wynne Jones amd was transformed into an Academy Award nominated animated motion picture by Hayao Miyazaki. On a rare venture out from her step-mother's hat shop, Sophie attracts the attention of a witch, who casts a terrible spell transforming the young girl into an old crone.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 8 hours and 34 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Audible.com Release Date: November 14, 2008
- Language: English
- ASIN: B001LFBO1C
Diana Wynne-Jones has a well-deserved reputation for funny, well-plotted, keep-you-riveted-to-your-chair fantasy stories. Here she provides an unusual sorcerer, an unlikely heroine, and a lot of sly winks at fantasies and fairy tales. Very entertaining.
Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three daughters, which in this fantasyland means that she's the one who doesn't have an astounding "fortune" to seek. Instead she's stuck at the hat shop. One day a plump, very rude woman comes to see the hats, and Sophie uncharacteristically insults her. Unfortunately, this woman is the Witch of the Wastes, and responds by aging Sophie into a crone. Peeved out of being shy and retiring, she tramps off to the "Moving Castle" of the supposedly evil wizard Howl, who reportedly [steals] out the souls of young girls.
After arriving at the castle, she encounters Howl's pleasant apprentice and contracted fire demon Calcifer (who promises to disenchant Sophie if she breaks his contract). Though she annoys the rather self-absorbed Howl and drives Calcifer almost nuts at times, Sophie becomes the cleaning lady at the Moving Castle. She begins searching for the chewed-up hearts of the girls, only to find something a lot more bizarre -- including her own peculiar magic.
If you've ever read a fairy tale -- Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast -- you'll know that the youngest kids are always are the favored ones. They go on to marry princes or princesses, become wealthy and beloved. Jones mocks this and many other fairy-tale cliches, such as the hilarious scene where Sophie lurches around in seven-league boots. There's even a brief homage to J.R.R. Tolkien.
It's certainly an interesting twist to have a not-so-evil evil-wizard, a harried apprentice, and a heroine who appears to be in her nineties.
Howl's Moving Castle is, overall, a good book.
That said, I don't think it is even in the same sphere of interest as J. R. R. Tolkien, or J. K. Rowling. The tone is different; DWJ maintains a witty tone, very emotional, but practical as well. She keeps you interested because of the ways her characters act. Sophie is a particularly complex character, and I enjoyed the ways in which she tried to deny her, um, feelings for Howl (especially the weed killer). I found Tolkien to be more detail-oriented, and less character-based. His books weren't as easy (or, in my opinion, interesting) to read. J. K. Rowling? A different story entirely. The three books don't compare, and not because one is better than the other. They're just completely different.
The book and the movie differ as well. At least two people I know, faced with me coaxing them into reading the book after seeing the movie, declined, with the excuse that they didn't think the book would be as good. This is definitely NOT TRUE. Miyazaki couldn't possibly summarize the character's personalities (Sophie's stubbornness and emotionalness; Howl's selfishness, and total escapism, and his courage, bravery, genius and hot! body, haha). He didn't even try. Come on. Even though I love Miyazaki, admire his films, and think he is truly skilled, I don't think this film was at all his best. The characters were saccharine. Sophie was a nice old woman without a lot of personality, and Howl was a seemingly selfish man who turned out to be a flying bird turned war hero turned 'ideal' male lead. And then there was the Witch. She WASN'T GOOD. SHE WAS EVIL. I know I sound pessimistic, and there were parts of the movie that made me love it... but as a movie. I loved this book first, and I was really disappointed with the movie.
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