Book of the Month – Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle is best known as a cult-classic Studio Ghibli animated film. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I could watch or read the story again and again. It’s one of my top recommendations, and here’s why.

Quick Summary

For those who have not read the book or watched the movie (but definitely should) here is a quick blurb:

Sophie Hatter has the misfortune of being the eldest of three, and is therefore doomed to fail should she ever set out to seek her fortune. To make matters worse, she is visited by the Witch of the Waste and launched on a journey to lift a horrible curse, entangling herself with the infamous Wizard Howl, his apprentice Michael, and a fire demon named Calcifer. Full of captivating characters and set in a fascinating world, Howl’s Moving Castle is a whimsical yet moving delight of a story.

A quirky and whimsical— yet epic— fantasy story, Howl’s Moving Castle and its two sequels (by Diana Wynne Jones) are just so much fun to read.

The Beginning

Howl’s Moving Castle has one of the best introductions I think I’ve ever read in a book. It does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the rest of the novel.

Chapter One’s title is a great hook on its own, and a fantastic reminder of the potential that chapter titles have to pique a reader’s interest:

Jones starts the book by telling you that the main character will be talking to hats. That leads to all sorts of questions, especially if you are aware that you are reading a fantasy story (and I have a feeling that the “Moving Castle” part of the story tips a person off about the genre).

So… do hats talk in this world, or is Sophie just crazy?

This sets the tone for how the world is largely going to feel throughout the book, a sort of quirky, soft magic system that surprises you constantly.

But what follows is one of my favorite book introductions of all time:

There are several things that these first lines do well. The first I mentioned earlier: the hook.

Starting a story with a good hook is vital to keeping your readers interested in continuing the story. There have been many times in a bookstore when I picked up a book and read the first line, only to put it back because of a boring first line. Or, if I’m being gracious, a boring first page. If the story doesn’t immediately capture the interest of the reader, it’s not as likely they’ll follow through to the end.

The goal of that first line, first paragraph, first page, and then first chapter is to get your reader curious and then invested. It always starts with curiosity, and then, as we get the answers to the questions, we become invested in the progression of the character and the story. The first lines of Howl’s Moving Castle accomplish this.

The first line also shows us a little bit about the world; which is full of magical objects and what seems to be superstition (or hey, maybe it’s been scientifically proven, you don’t really know).

Not only does this give a solid introduction to the world and our main character, but from that very first line, you are left with several very interesting questions:

“What on earth are ‘seven-league’ boots?”

“Why is the eldest of three doomed to fail?”

“What does this mean for our main character?”

This introduction does a solid job of setting the tone for the story, the world, and the main character.

I love that Jones starts out describing this curse, this really awful thing that could befall someone, something completely out of a person’s control— and then immediately reveals that our main character has the misfortune of being burdened with this curse. Right off the bat, Jones is showing who the main character is and what her primary struggle throughout the book will be.

The Main Struggle

Sophie has to overcome many things throughout the book, but at the core of all of that is her belief that she isn’t destined for anything great, but the polar opposite— she’s doomed to fail. This is something that has held her back and continues to do so until she decides that there is hope and that it’s up to her to make her destiny work out. It’s an incredibly relatable character arc that is very enjoyable to read.

The Rest

Throughout the remainder of the book, the character interactions and their respective growth are natural and fun to read through. The world becomes more and more intriguing, and so does the mysterious Howl. The conclusion of the book was epic and incredibly satisfying.

In some ways, it’s a ‘found family’ story. As Sophie searches for ways to break her curse, she inadvertently finds love and family in Howl, Michael, and Calcifer, while also discovering that she can make a happy life for herself, even when she has believed just the opposite her entire life.

The Sequels

Howl’s Moving Castle is part of a trilogy. The next two books in the series, Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways, are equally compelling and interesting, and just as quirky, whimsical, and fun in terms of worldbuilding and story. One of the things I love about the series is that, at first, neither book seems to be connected to Howl’s Moving Castle at all. As you read, however, you begin to piece together the clues, learning towards the end exactly how the world of each book fits into the world of Howl’s Moving Castle. The way this worldbuilding is done is an honest surprise by the end of the books, and I loved the way that three seemingly separate and different worlds were knit together so seamlessly.

Bonus: Cover Art

I love being able to see how a book’s cover art can vary in style and form throughout the years (or decades…).

Howl’s Moving Castle has some very fun, classic-feeling cover designs:

The two above are my personal favorites; I feel like they perfectly capture the tone of the book.

However, I think this one is so cool. The silhouette design and watercolor/paint look just feels so classic— literally. It looks like the cover of some older, classic literature, which makes sense, given that it was actually published in 1986!

I also dug up this old “gem” if that’s what you want to call it. Not my favorite design by any means, but pretty reminiscent of how some older cover designs often looked (It’s childhood nostalgia. We’ll have to deal with it).

And it’s pure comedy that they chose to use an electric guitar for the guitar illustration. I don’t know who made that call or why they did… but it’s still hilarious.

This is certainly not at all how I imagine the characters, but… well.

In conclusion, Howl’s Moving Castle is intriguing from the very start and full of fun, relatable characters, a fascinating world, and an intriguing plot. One of my top picks! If you haven’t read it yet, go! Right now. Go read it. And then maybe watch the movie.

© N. C. Raven

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