Howl's Moving Castle

 

Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones
Greenwillow, 1986
336 pages
Grades 5-Up
Fantasy/Fairy Tale

As an eldest sister Sophie is quite convinced that nothing interesting will ever happen to her, so when her father passes away and she and her sisters are sent out on apprenticeships, she is content to work long hours at the family hat shop. The hats Sophie assemble start to create a buzz and suddenly the small shop has more work than they can handle. A mysterious and demanding woman enters the shop one day, is annoyed by Sophie's attitude and casts a spell on the poor eighteen-year-old, transforming her into an old woman. With nothing to lose, Sophie sets out on her own and hobbles into the countryside, where she sets loose a bewitched scarecrow and encounters the large moving castle belonging to the infamous Wizard Howl. Howl has a reputation for taking advantage of young ladies, but that is not a problem now that Sophie is elderly. She enters the castle and makes reluctant friends of Michael, the young apprentice and Calcifer, the resident fire-demon, who is responsible for bewitching the castle. Sophie immediately declares herself the cleaning lady and sets to work. When Howl returns from wooing yet another innocent lady, he seems to raise no objections. As time moves forward they all become friends and their lives become entangled. Can Sophie help Howl out of a dangerous assignment from the king, as well as free Calcifer from his binds to the castle? And can she break her own spell and be reunited with her family?

This is one of my all-time favorite books, as well as the only movie that I like as much as the book. I periodically give it another "go" to see if it still stands up. Honestly, I enjoyed this re-reading of the original fairy tale as much as the first. The author manages to create something truly original, while utilizing the tropes and tones of classic tales. A cool twist pulls readers briefly into the present world-and then out again. The story, narrated by clever Sophie, is funny and the characters are developed and sympathetic, even the narcissistic Wizard Howl. Sophie manages to find her confidence and courage and save the day, despite being an eldest sister, inspiring readers to "reach for the stars" despite what they are predestined to become. Calcifer is one of my favorite characters in children's literature and is alone worth the time spent reading. The plot moves along briskly, offering many twists and turns, as bewitched characters are revealed and spells are reversed. Jones infuses the tale with characteristically British humor that lightens the mood and makes reading pure joy. Studio Ghibli turned the story into an animated film in 2004, keeping the major plot points, yet giving the story an anime/steampunk vibe with great success. A gem of a book sure to delight the current young readers of The Land of Stories and The School for Good and Evil.