Howl's Moving Castle

 

Howl's Moving Castle / Diana Wynne Jones
NY: Harper Trophy, 2001, c1986.
329 p.

I recently read this for the first time, as part of the Literary Sewing Circle I run on my sewing blog. I can't believe I missed this as a young reader - I would have really loved it. But I enjoyed reading it now and digging into it for all the Literary Sewing Circle posts! 

It's different in many ways from the Studio Ghibli movie version. Same basic outlines but the book focuses more on Sophie and questions of ageism, women's experiences, and so forth, while the movie really hones in on the anti-war messages. Different angles on the same story! 

I usually love stories featuring three sisters, and this is no exception. Sophie is the eldest, but this is a fairytale setup so she is convinced it's not worth trying to make her fortune since it will clearly be the youngest, Martha, who is able to do that. This lack of self-belief shapes her life strongly, especially in the beginning, and it's only when she is turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste and has to leave home and find a new life for herself that she really comes into her own. 

But her two sisters are not evil stepsisters either. They are all quite close to one another, and all play a role in the story. They show determination in finding the right path for themselves despite their mother's fumbled decisions at the start. 

There are many nods to fairy tale tropes here but also humour and sarcasm. Great mix. There is so much creativity shown in building the world of Ingary, and some fascinationg characters. Howl himself is complex, not a character I'd feel would be the hero of a story - and in some ways he's not at all, it's really Sophie. But he is interesting because he can be a bit of a self-centred, whiny jerk at times, while also showing great kindness and care at others. 

I found this a fun, engaging read with lots of neat little references to literary tropes and also to sewing and making -- after all, magic is a form of making, too. One of my favourite characters was the fire demon Calcifer, who responds at one point to a comment, "I don't think of myself as evil!". And he really isn't. There is heart to this imaginative story, and I loved it.