I love novels that can suck me in like that because it doesn’t happen often. There’s remarkably little detail from the Welsh portions that could betray a fixed period in time, and because most of the world is a fantastic place that doesn’t really exist, the whole thing feels very timeless. The fantasy world Jones created layers a make-believe realm that sits over and intersects with our own version of Wales, though the setting is likely early twentieth century at the latest. It’s worth watching, and Miyazaki still considers it one of his best films. Nothing is changed per se about the general plot, and many of my favorite book elements are present in the movie. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll be familiar with the heavy-handed themes of love and compassion and the negative portrayals of a war fought for the removed upper-classes.

Miyazaki had read Jones’ 1986 novel and loved the world-building so much that his film adaptation in 2004 embellished and expanded upon the fantasy world created by Jones. I saw the movie first years back, in high school, and like many people, I fell in love with Hayao Miyazaki (co-creator of Studio Ghibli) and his films immediately. I didn’t even realize Howl’s Moving Castle was a book before it was made into a movie. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl’s castle? Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl-and herself-than first meets the eye. 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. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. 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.

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. There are two more books, but they are in the same world rather than continuations of plot and characters.įind it: Physical copies in the Vortex, graphic novel adaptations on the 2nd floor, and available as a Playaway audiobook, eAudiobook and eBook, all options listed here.

Wizard howl howl's moving castle