Book #20: Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne-Jones

[grav_ity]

young fantasy, magic, vague nonsense, girl power, best curse ever

I went through a not-short period of my childhood reading books I didn't like. I read them because my mother decided they were worthy, and because I was made to. Looking back, I realize that there is a difference between being able to read and being able to understand. It's why the first time through "Contact" was such a train wreck, and why Madeleine L'Engle and I got off on the wrong foot entire. As an eight year old, there were many things I just didn't get.

So I wonder why my mother never went for Diana Wynne-Jones. Because this book was AWESOME.

I really liked the title, for starters. It's kind of fantastic. And I loved that none of the sisters or the step-mother were "evil". They were just REAL people who had REAL problems (where REAL is defined in a fantastical setting, of course), and who sometimes were a bit absent minded because they were focused on themselves. And Howl was hilariously stupid, at times.

I really, really, loved Sophie. The idea of her character is really neat, and I love that her only real enemy is herself. I might be projecting a bit (who me? NEVER!), but I liked watching her grow through her issues and come into her power. AND I LOVED THE CURSE! I loved the idea that she stopped being afraid of thing IMMEDIATELY upon becoming old. It's just so...perception based and wacky, and I love it.

I also love the part where, had the Witch not interfered, Sophie would never have left the hat shop, and the Witch would have won. Because I am a sucker for that kind of story-telling.

There were a great many parts of this book where I laughed out loud. The ending was a bit sudden, if only because I was totally not expecting Howl and Sophie to hook up (well, that's a lie, because CLEARLY they were...I was just expecting it to be different). But EVERYBODY LIVED, and I always, always love that.

This book was just so much FUN. And now I have to go and read everything she's ever written! I am excited. I give it a 9!

Comments

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

I've ordered the next one. And I really am trying to read 100 Cupboards, but the closer they get to the "fantasy" part of the book, the less I want to follow them there. I never thought I'd say this, but I love the "normal" world so much in this book, I kind of don't want them to have any adventures! I just want Frank to be weird and awesome, and Henry to actually become a person without having to leave this plane.

[sache8.livejournal.com]

That is so funny! I felt the same way about the "normal" part of Book One! I loved the whole picnic sequence when he was learning to play baseball. (Zeke, btw = Immen-like character of supreme noble awesome).

isn't Frank the best? Hee!