Howl's Moving Castle

Sophie Hatter lives an ordinary life as a hatmaker. Being the oldest daughter of three, she does not expect her future to be anything but ordinary. All of this changes when she meets the Wicked Witch of the Waste, who curses her to become an old woman. Fleeing her home, she comes across the moving castle of infamous wizard Howl, who is rumoured to steal young women's hearts and eat them. Sophie strikes a deal with the castle's resident fire demon to undo her curse and end his deal with Howl. Surely, this cannot go wrong in any way? Having been a fan of Studio Ghibli's adaptation if this novel, I've finally read the original, and I must say it's even better! Howl's and Sophie's relationship is absolutely hilarious and witty, the other characters are more fleshed out, and there are some other twists and turns I did not expect. I was hooked from page one and loved every second of it. Between Howl's drama queen antics (affectionate) and Sophie's down-to-earth stubbornness (also affectionate), I thouroughly enjoyed this magical story! After finishing Howl's Moving Castle, I'm just taking a short break to write this review, before diving right into the next novel in the series: Castle in the Air. I cannot wait to see what awaits me there, and I hope that many other readers will get to enjoy Dianna Wynne Jones' fantastical stories!

Ich hab zuerst den Film von Studio Ghibli gesehen und den fand ich um ehrlich zu sein nur "okay", weil ich viele Zusammenhänge und Beziehungen auch nicht verstanden habe. Weil ich wusste, dass der Film ein Buch adaptiert hat, hatte ich gehofft, dass ich beim Lesen eben genannte Zusammenhänge und Beziehungen besser verstehen kann. Aber es stellte sich heraus, dass das Buch komplett anders ist als der Film. Und zwar sehr positiv anders! Es ist sogar das zehnfache besser als der Film. Die Charaktere sind tausend mal sympathischer und auch die Storyline an sich ergibt viel mehr Sinn. Das Buch wirkt insgesamt herzlicher und menschlicher und ich kann's kaum erwarten, die Fortsetzung zu lesen.

If you think about buying this book because of the Ghibli movie, DO IT! It's so much better than the movie and I say that as someone who claims that Howl's Moving Castle is her favorite movie. Miyazaki did an amazing job, but the book itself is a completely different experience.

Ein wunderschönes Buch für alle, die Geschichten voller Magie lieben. Auch wenn sich das Buch und der Film in einigen Punkten unterscheiden, haben mir beide Geschichten sehr gut gefallen.

I loved this book! A really cozy and gentle story about finding one’s own worth and finding love. I have not seen the movie yet but I am looking forward to it!