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I can’t resist a fantasy story promising fairy-tale elements like demons, sisters on quests, magic curses and evil wizards.
Howl’s Moving Castle has all of these.
Author Diana Wynne Jones has a light and breezy writing style. It’s no surprise she is said to have influenced the likes of Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett. She has just the same delicious way of re-inventing traditional story elements with humour, pathos and originality.
What it’s about
Howl’s Moving Castle is about a young woman called Sophie and her encounters with the Wizard Howl.
As the eldest of three sisters, Sophie starts the story with low expectations. ‘Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.’
What happens to Sophie and her two sisters is surprising and, in many places, funny.
Wizard Howl enters the story when his ‘tall black castle suddenly appeared on the hills … blowing clouds of black smoke from its four tall, thin turrets’. Howl himself sounds terrifying: apparently, he is known for ‘collecting young girls and sucking the souls from them.’
So there are some fairly dark ideas underlying this story. But don’t panic: the story is almost always light-hearted, the worst pretty much never happens and absolutely nothing in the book is what it first appears to be.
What I liked best about Howl’s Moving Castle
- It’s a unique take on traditional fairy tales. Diana Wynne Jones uses classic fairy tale elements but turns tradition on its head by making the eldest sister the hero.
- It has brilliant characters. Sophie’s strong personality and unexpected responses to problems keep the story fresh and engaging. Howl is one of those delightfully complex anti-heroes. And the supporting cast (which include a fire demon, a wizard’s apprentice, an enchanted dog and a scarecrow) are great fun too.
- There are surprising twists and turns. Like a Dickens story, this book has a large cast and almost every character turns out to be significant in some way that you never would have expected.
Who would like Howl’s Moving Castle?
It’s not the easiest read in the world. Confident, older readers would be able to tackle this alone, but younger readers would probably get the most from the book if it was read to them.
The plot can get a little confusing at times. This is another reason why younger readers might prefer to read with a grown-up.
The earlier comparison to Philip Pullman might be a bit misleading if you only know His Dark Materials. Children who’ve read and enjoyed his lighter works, such as The Firework Maker’s Daughter or The Scarecrow and his Servant, should get on fine with this.
In summary
Howl’s Moving Castle is lots of fun, full of imaginative fantasy elements and funny, complex characters.
Next step
You can Buy Howl’s Moving Castle on Amazon.