TL;DR: I’m not sure I know where to begin with this review. Let’s start by saying that the Ghibli movie is one of my all-time favourites. It’s comforting and familiar and I rewatch it (along with the other Ghibli’s) several times a year. I’m so glad that I knew in advance how different the book would be because that also helped me manage my expectations. Howl’s Moving Castle fits perfectly under the category of “I loved this book but I can’t begin to tell you why”. Many elements normally would not have worked for me but I found myself enjoying it regardless. Diana Wynne Jones sweeps you along for the ride before you even know it and what a ride it was!

If you were to look up the definition of whimsical I’m convinced this title would top the list of examples. I read this with Becky and as we reflected on our thoughts, I mentioned that it felt like a hodgepodge of whimsical magical elements that worked wonders for this story. Honestly, if it had been any less whimsical, I think it would have fallen flat. The world-building is slightly erratic, the plot only clearly makes itself known towards the end, the romance is close to non-existent, and while the characters were the pillars of the story, they felt slightly underdeveloped. That said, this chaotic jumble paired with the slightly over-the-top magical whimsy created a fun adventure-filled story that moved at a rapid clip and made for easy entertaining reading.

As much as I tried not to, I couldn’t help but compare the book to the movie and while I think I still prefer the movie, I appreciated the differences in both. I loved the insight we get into the characters and their relationships that we don’t get in the movie—they’re more flawed but also more human. Sophie was a fantastic protagonist. In the movie, you see how the curse pushed her to stop being so careful all the time but it’s even more pronounced in the book! She was a hilariously particular and slightly curmudgeonly little old lady with a young, vibrant spirit which I found quite endearing. I also loved seeing Sophie as a sister and that we got to explore her complicated family relationship as the oldest daughter. It was a delight to discover that her two younger sisters are just as willful, cheeky and sharp as her!

I also loved how Sophie whips the castle and its inhabitants into shape and the wonderful found family she makes with Calcifer, Michael, and Howl. These three are as central to the plot as Sophie is and I loved that we do get to learn more about each in the book. Calcifer is much more terrifying but Michael is just as sweet and soft, although older than in the movie. Howl is even more of a dramatic man-child but instead of being irritating, I found it quite hilarious! The scene where he catches a cold is just so stereotypical, but not inaccurate, a portrayal of a man getting sick. 🤣 Howl is such a peculiar character enshrouded in total mystery and despite finding it difficult to describe him, he has such a presence that you can simply say “That’s just so Howl” and it makes sense, lol. I would’ve liked for his backstory to have been explored in more detail, especially how he ended up in this magical world when he’s originally from Wales, but he’s just as mysterious and slithery in the book as he is in the movie. I also have to point out how glad I am that the movie made Calcifer and Turnip Head less terrifying because they were truly demonic in the book, lol.

The romance itself was very low-key and if I hadn’t known that there was a romance, I wouldn’t have seen it coming at all! It’s very… subtle and I guess, “very Howl” because of the way he came about it. As Becky mentioned, and I also agree, I liked how Michael’s statement about what would happen when Howl truly fell in love came true—again, it was very subtle but when you look back on the changes, apparent and very sweet!

Overall, this made for an interesting reading experience. I’m glad that it didn’t end up being a flop for me despite how much I love the movie and how different the book is. I’m happy that I finally read it 🙂

Have you read Howl’s Moving Castle or is it on your TBR?

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