Howl's Moving Castle

Book Description

In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter.

After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls.

The Hatter sisters--Sophie, Lettie, and Martha--and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

Diana Wynne Jones's entrancing fantasy is filled with surprises at every turn, but when the final stormy duel between the Witch and the Wizard is finished, all the pieces fall magically into place.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring.......2007-09-29

Diana Wynne Jones is an amazing story teller. You will absolutely fall in love with her characters in this wonderful world of magic and wizards. If you saw Hayao Miyazaki's animated interpertation of this story, you will love the book just as much. Possibly more!

Oh, wow..........2007-09-17

I saw the movie and adored it. But then I read the book and realized just how much the movie left out....nuances, complexities of characters and emotion. The book is truly wondrous and tickles the imagination in ways you wouldn't believe. Not to be missed, especially if you enjoyed the movie. For all ages.

almost the same..........2007-09-16

I watched the movie first and was later prompted to read the novel since the movie had unanswered questions here and there. To my surprise, there are a lot of parts in the book that were not in the movie. The book did not mention a war and Sophie was more bitter. However, it did clear up any misunderstandinds from the movie which is why I bought the book in the first place.

Not The Same At The Movie Storyline, Characters, etc........2007-08-31

Good read by a good author of fantasy. BUT, this book's storyline, characters & plot is not the same as the famous animae movie "Howl's Castle." I bought the book thinking it was a novel version of the movie's story and I was disappointed. Jones has invented a new kind of Cindarella fantasy wizard-type story. Though the storyline meanders, a few of the characters, especially the secondary characters, are vague, the book was worth reading. Believe me, the settings, storyline, characters, plot, etc., are beautifully & fully fleshed out in the animae movie version. Hayao Miyazaki is a genius!

Something of a mish-mash, but quite inventive.......2007-08-26

This YA fantasy novel moves at a breakneck speed, and some of the action scenes would be better suited to a faithful movie adaptation than the printed word. It was too hyper for my tastes, with too many important side characters, but I was eager to see what happened. It is very different from the movie of the same name, Howl's Moving Castle, which shares only the title, the moving castle setting, and some character names; the tone, plot, and most of the characters in the movie are vastly different from those of the book. I found the book better suited to the younger audience; the dark political message of the movie was unsettling even to me as an adult. But if you like this book, be sure to check out Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men for a similarly spunky young heroine.

Average customer rating:

NOT her best
Not one of DWJ's best
Fascinating Fantasy for young readers
Great story.
Too short

The Game (Firebird)
Diana Wynne Jones
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0142407186
Release Date: 2007-03-01

Book Description

Hayley's parents disappeared when she was a baby. Since then, she has been raised and homeschooled by her grandparents. Grandad is overworked and travels a lot; Grandma is much too strict and never lets her meet any children her own age. When Hayley does something wrong—she is not quite sure what—they pack her off to her aunts in Ireland. To Hayley's shock, her family is much bigger than she thought; to her delight, the children all play what they call “the game,” where they visit a place called “the mythosphere.” And while she plays the game, Hayley learns more about her own place in the world than she had ever expected. This original novella by Diana Wynne Jones is sharply funny, fast-paced, and surprising until its very end—like all of this acclaimed author's work.

Customer Reviews:

NOT her best.......2007-08-13

Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors (Howl's Moving Castle is my personal favorite) but this book seemed like an idea for a story. The characters, while well researched, were not developed at all. I couldn't connect with any of them, not even the main character. Jones came up with some interesting ideas like the mythosphere, but that's all they were- ideas. After I finished the last page, I felt like I had missed a chapter somewhere. Over all, I was rather disappointed.

Not one of DWJ's best.......2007-07-20

I am a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, so when I saw that she'd written a new novel, I was excited. Unfortunately, this book fell far short of my expectations.

I think one of the main problems was that I couldn't identify with the character. We're not told very much about Hayley (presumably because Jones was trying to keep the true identities of the characters a secret until later in the book). I couldn't figure out how old she was, or anything about her that really mattered. I assumed, though, that she was about 10. The problem with that assumption, however, was that she then went and followed strange adult men into bushes, without really questioning the situation or her own safety. A similar theme appeared in "Fire and Hemlock", but that was written decades ago when child predators weren't as much in the news as they are today (and the main character in that novel eventually grew up, rendering her friendship with a man twice her age somewhat more acceptable).

I do appreciate Jones's creation of the "mythosphere", and I thought it was an interesting idea. However, I would have liked to see more of it. So many books for children today seem to suffer from a lack of editing. If anything, this book seemed to suffer from over-editing! It seemed as if large chunks were missing. Certain things were badly or barely explained. How could a wedding photograph of Hayley's parents even exist if they were as old as they were supposed to be? Why did Hayley have no memories of the world changing around her? Surely she would have noticed that computers, cars, and airplanes were relatively new inventions. How did she pin Jupiter to the sky when the planet was already there?

There also didn't seem to be much peril. Aside from the rather gory scene with the Maenads, the characters didn't seem to be in much mortal danger. And how could they be? Half of them were immortal!

Jones has been through this territory before in "Eight Days of Luke" (though with Norse mythology, while "The Game" is Greek mythology). However, there seems to be an awful lot of metaphor and symbolism here for kids to absorb. And while I enjoyed the unique "mythosphere" aspect, I really wanted to see all parts of the story more fleshed out.

Fascinating Fantasy for young readers.......2007-06-05

It is hard to imagine a more creative or prolific author of young adult books. Diane Wynne Jones is the author of the Dalemark Quartet, The Chrestomanci Books, and about 40 others. This novella--longer than a short story, shorter than a novel--is part of Penguin's Firebird series.

Orphaned Hayley is thrust from the only home she knew, living with her grandparents on the outskirts of London. She is thrown into a maelstrom of activity with aunts and cousins she never knew she had in a large castle in Ireland. Her life in London was very lonely, with her only companions various maids and servants. Her strict grandmother thrust her out when she became angry with Hayley's "imagination," calling cousin Mercer to come and take her away.

Hayley discovers her many cousins also have vivid imaginations, and play a game where they travel the strands of the mythosphere on various quests. Hayley had first seen the mythosphere in her kindly but distracted grandfather's study. She accidentally runs into her father on one of her quests, in addition to Flute and Fiddle, two street musician acquaintances from her lonely London days. The villain of the story is angry Uncle Jolyon, wealthy and powerful, and responsible for making Hayley an orphan, due to a prophecy.

Will Uncle Jolyon track down the errant Hayley? Will Troy and Harmony, two cousins who try to save her, succeed? And who on earth are Flute and Fiddle?

Armchair Interviews says: This fascinating fantasy will engage young readers immediately with its vivid images and appealing heroine.

Great story........2007-05-15

I have come to expect excellence from Jones, and this work is no exception. It is tightly written, exciting, and fun. I think it might help a little if one had, as I did, a classical education, since the story assumes certain characters from ancient mythology, but it probably would still be enjoyed by teens of today just as well as other adults.

Too short.......2007-04-19

I liked this story, but it wasn't among my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books. I think that's because it was so short - a lot of things are left pretty vague, and while the concept is imaginative and creative with the best of them, I wished that there was more detail, to make this world more real. I guess I would call this story more "clever" than "immersive," if that makes sense. So, 4 stars for an interesting story, anyway :)

Average customer rating:

Don't Let The Cover Sketch Scare You Away
A Visual Feast !
The Art of Howl's Moving Castle
Excellent book
A great book

The Art of Howl's Moving Castle
Hayao Miyazaki
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1421500493

Customer Reviews:

Don't Let The Cover Sketch Scare You Away.......2007-09-27

This book opens a world of anime art like none other. Primary characters & secondary characters are carefully drawn out and walk through a world & story created for them. As a professional artist, I found great interest in the prelimiary drawings straight through the setting concepts. This is also a great book for fans of the movie. If you loved the movie, you will love this book.

A Visual Feast !.......2007-06-16

I totally enjoyed the layout and discussion in this book. I have been a Miyazaki fan ever since, "My Neighbor Totoro" which I saw when I lived in Japan. If you relish animation and all the details of this art form, you'll like the format and attention this book gives.

Janine Bolon, Financial Coach, Radio Talk Show Host, author of "Money...It's Not Just for Rich People!" available on amazon. Money...It's Not Just for Rich People!

The Art of Howl's Moving Castle.......2007-04-06

If you loved the movie, you will love this book, The Art of Howl's Moving Castle it's hard cover, with original sketches, storyboards and the final screenplay!

The book explains every step of the complex story, from the original book adaptation to the final movie. Also have quotes and articles from creators of each process (designers, art directors, supervising animators, etc.) It's like seeing the movie scene by scene with artist commentaries.

Excellent book.......2007-03-24

Being a great Miyazaki fan I really love this book. Even though majority of the books is filled with movie stills, I love it. I revisit those pictures in the books and get myself lost in the beauty of colors. Also being a student of animation, I really get to learn a lot of things. Character concepts and other drawings are really helpful. I highly recommend this book for anybody who likes stories, animation and colors.

A great book.......2007-03-09

Hayao Miyazaki is a genious. This book is simply a must for all of the director's fans. The book is full of drawings, sketches and images from the actual movie.

Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle, Updated Edition: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation

Average customer rating:

Significant improvements over the first edition
exhaustive and thought-provoking
A deep analysis of Japanese Anime in general.

Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle, Updated Edition: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation
Susan J. Napier
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1403970521
Release Date: 2005-11-24

Book Description

This new edition of the groundbreaking popular book is a must-have for both seasoned and new fans of anime. Japanese animation is more popular than ever following the 2002 Academy Award given to Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. It confirmed that anime is more than just children's cartoons, often portraying important social and cultural themes. With new chapters on Spirited Away and other recent releases, including Howl's Moving Castle--Miyazaki's latest hit film, already breaking records in Japan--this edition will be the authoritative source on anime for an exploding market of viewers who want to know more.

Customer Reviews:

Significant improvements over the first edition.......2007-05-31

It is readily apparent that professor Napier has watched a considerable amount of anime since writing the first edition of this book. The analysis now covers a much broader range of material, and is much more effective for it. My only gripe is that professor Napier mentions Gundam in passing, but was unwilling to invest the time to explore that peculiar institution of Tomino-san's. I hope that she can overcome her reticence in time for the third edition.

exhaustive and thought-provoking.......2007-03-21

A wonderfully deep book that finely examines anime across all genres to explore the anime itself and what influenced it.

A deep analysis of Japanese Anime in general. .......2006-09-04

The author discusses the different anime genres (Mecha, fairy tales, fantasy, Sci fi, shojo, history, pornography etc). She examines the common themes like metamorphosis, merging of humans and machines, gender panics, masculine crisis, identity, disappearing shojos and the role of young heroins (shojos) across different animes. She attempts to explain how these themes fit into Japanese society, identity and culture both traditional and new. She uses examples from many different animes to illustrate her arguments. Animes used in the discussion includes Evangelion, Ghost in a Shell, Akira, Twin Dolls, Inuyasha, Wolve's Rain, Rouroni Kenshin, Ranma ½, Utena, Grave of the Fireflies and Miyazaki's work just to name a few. If you watch these animes, you might want to read this book to better understand Japanese anime in general. One whole chapter is devoted to pornographic anime. Since I am not allowed to watch these anime due to religious restrictions, I found her writing very informative. Dr Napier gave good explanations of the themes and genres in the context of Japanese culture and issues that challenge modern day Japanese society. I would recommend this book to anime lovers, students and researchers who have an interest in Japanese culture and literature.

One star has been taken out because:

1. Japanese anime is a lot more than what was covered in this book.

2. I greatly admire Rumiko Takahashi, the author of Inuyasha for her definition of the word "demon". Through Inuyasha, the author demonstrated the very abstract post modern notion that a word (eg demon) has a fixed meaning in our minds only because humans/man defined it as such, our understanding of a word can be re-defined. I did not like Dr Napier's short and superficial analysis of Inuyasha although I agreed with her views.

3. I think at times, the author was so carried away summarizing the animes that the point she is trying to make becomes unclear.

4. My favourite animes in order of preference: Inuyasha, 12 Kingdoms, Samurai 7, Last Exile, Escaflowne, Evangelion, Gundam, etc most of which are not selected for discussion in the book.

If you are die hard Miyazaki fan, you should love this book because a lot of focus is put on Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Nausicaa etc.

Due to the omission of Ono Fuyumi's 12 Kingdoms, I wanted to give this book a 2 star rating. However, I'm grateful that Dr Napier wrote a very well researched book on Japanese anime, giving us an insight into different themes and how these fit into Japanese society and culture.

"Napier Draws a rather complete picture of Japanese animation as a legitimate art form, and uses anime as a key to the culture that created it" Entertainment Weekly.

Howls Moving Castle Picture Book (Howl's Moving Castle Picture Book)

Average customer rating:

Love the chicken feet on the castle!
Gorgeous book with easy to follow story.

Howls Moving Castle Picture Book (Howl's Moving Castle Picture Book)

Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1421500906

Customer Reviews:

Love the chicken feet on the castle!.......2007-09-02

I saw the movie, Howl's Moving Castle, and then saw the picture book advertised. As I am a teacher-librarian in a high school, I decided to buy the book to put in the school library. I found the pictures bright and eye-catching, and I knew that our students do a study of picture books in English in their senior years. The castle also links very strongly to the story of Baba Yaga, whose house was on chicken feet, although it was a much darker abode. One of the seniors has reserved the book already, so I think my decision has been vindicated. Also, the book is much more appealing than the text version, although the text version does explain some of what happens to Sophie. I highly recommend this book.

Gorgeous book with easy to follow story........2007-04-27

My 5 year old loved the movie so I bought this book and it is/was a big hit. Even though it is rather long for a childrens book each page isn't too wordy as some can be and the illustrations are a beautiful as the movie's animation.

Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics, Volume 1 (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics)

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Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics, Volume 1 (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics)
Hayao
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1421500914

Howl's Moving Castle Film Comic vol. 4 (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics) (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics)

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Howl's Moving Castle Film Comic vol. 4 (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics) (Howl's Moving Castle Film Comics)
Hayao Miyazaki
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 1421500949

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Howl's Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

'Change the story, change the world': witches/crones as heroes in novels by Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones.(Book review): An article from: Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature

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'Change the story, change the world': witches/crones as heroes in novels by Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones.(Book review): An article from: Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature
Caroline Webb
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 3930 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: 'Change the story, change the world': witches/crones as heroes in novels by Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones.(Book review)
Author: Caroline Webb
Publication: Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Page: 156(6)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Cunneen's 10 best of 2005: foreign films dominate this year's list.(Movie Review): An article from: National Catholic Reporter

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Cunneen's 10 best of 2005: foreign films dominate this year's list.(Movie Review): An article from: National Catholic Reporter
Joseph Cunneen
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000F1IM36
Release Date: 2006-03-15

Book Description

This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on January 6, 2006. The length of the article is 1034 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cunneen's 10 best of 2005: foreign films dominate this year's list.(Movie Review)
Author: Joseph Cunneen
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 6, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42 Issue: 10 Page: 11(1)

Article Type: Movie Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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