This might have been one of my favorite animated films. As an animation film Producer by trade, there are very few animated films that can pull me into the story. Most of the time, I am lost in the heavy folds of my Producer's hat by minute three of the film, and am picking apart how the piece was crafted. However, 'Howl's Moving Castle' was not one of those films. I was delighted to be given this book by my husband and quickly found myself picking it up to read it before the others on my list.
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'Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail
miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.
To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.
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?
All fans of classic fantasy books deserve the pleasure of reading those by Diana Wynne Jones, whose acclaim included the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. As Neil Gaiman stated, she was "quite simply the best writer for children of her generation."
MY THOUGHTS
No matter how much I loved the film, I can also say that for the book because there was very little similarity between the two. The beginning is similar, but it stops there and then the book takes you on an adventure in a world that is wholly its own - or the film did, I should say. It is difficult to explain other than there was enough of a distinction between the two that the book was just as imaginative, just as charming and just as adventurous as the film, sparking a world of delight and making me feel like a child again, living in a land of imagination. I am delighted that there are books out there being written for the preteens with this level of inspire future creation of beauty like this to the world. I loved every minute of every page turn.
You can find the author's books on amazon here :
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