![]() ![]() Part of the contract, however, stipulates that neither Howl nor Calcifer can disclose the main clause, leaving Sophie to figure it out on her own. She strikes a bargain with Howl's fire demon, Calcifer: if she can break the contract between Howl and Calcifer, then Calcifer will return her to her original youthful form. When the powerful Witch of the Waste considers her a threat and turns her into an old crone, Sophie leaves the shop and finds work as a cleaning lady for the notorious wizard Howl. Unbeknownst to her, she is able to talk life into objects. As the eldest, Sophie is resigned to a dull future running the family hat shop. ![]() Plot summary ġ8-year-old Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters living in Market Chipping, a town in the magical kingdom of Ingary, where fairytale tropes are accepted ways of life, including that the eldest of three will never be successful. He had "asked me to write a book titled The Moving Castle". įor the idea Jones "very much" thanked "a boy in a school I was visiting", whose name she had noted but lost and forgot. WorldCat reports that Howl's Moving Castle is the author's work most widely held in participating libraries, followed by its first sequel Castle in the Air. This series also includes Castle in the Air, published in 1990, and House of Many Ways, published in 2008. Howl's Moving Castle is the first novel in the series of books called the Howl Series. It was adapted into a critically acclaimed 2004 animated film of the same name, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years later. I would recommend reading the book first so that the differences in Miyazaki’s interpretation don’t mar the rich imagery evoked by Wynne Jones’ prose.Howl's Moving Castle is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. Miyazaki used many of the major elements of the book-Sophie is a hatter, her step-mother has a similar character, and she has a sister working at Cesari’s-but changed other elements in major ways-Sophie’s sister (Martha) is removed, Howl’s apprentice (Michael) is a child rather than a teen, and the ending is completely different. I really wish I had found this book in junior high-I think it would have made a far bigger impact then!įor me, the hardest part about reading Howl’s Moving Castle was that I came to this book from the credits of Miyazaki’s 2004 film based on the book. ![]() I found it really easy to relate to Sophie-being the eldest of three girls resonates when you have two younger sisters. She is that rare character-a strong, shy heroine. She is a quiet woman-near the beginning of the novel, she is called a mouse. She says things as an old woman that she would never say as a young woman, exerts her will, and makes strong decisions, some good, some bad. Becoming an old woman liberates her, allowing her to find her determination come into her own. Sophie is a young woman who is resigned to her future. ![]() Wynne Jones often uses advanced (or rather, old-fashioned) vocabulary and has created a framework regarding alternate dimensions and the potential of travel between them that makes sense in the context of the book (especially if you don’t think about it too hard), but rapidly gets complicated upon further reflection. The plot is simple and easy to follow, and follows the tropes of a coming-of-age story. It is a well-written fantasy novel that will be reachable by anyone, at any time, of any age. This book straddles the line between children’s lit and young adult lit. When the Witch of the Wastes enters the hat shop and curses Sophie to be an old woman, she must set out and have her own adventure! Why you should read it: But there is magic afoot, with the Wizard Howl’s moving castle wandering the Wastes around Market Chipping (it’s said that he eats young women’s hearts) and rumours that the terrifying Witch of the Wastes has returned. When their father dies, their step-mother finds the sisters apprenticeships-the youngest, Martha, goes to learn magic, pretty Lettie goes to Cesari’s Pastry shop where she is sure to find a beau, and Sophie is set to inherit the hat shop. In fairy tale lore, this means that she will be the family’s failure, so she lives her life preparing her sisters for the exciting lives they are sure to lead. Sophie Hatter is the eldest of a hat merchant’s three daughters. ![]()
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