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Howls Moving Castle

by Diana Wynne Jones
Howls Moving Castle

  • Comment on this title
  • Synopses & Reviews
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ISBN13: 9780064410342
ISBN10: 006441034X



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$8.99
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

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.

Review

"Jones has outdone herself in this frolicking, warmhearted fantasy. Thoroughly enjoyable — a wonderful blend of humor, magic, and romance." Publishers Weekly

Review

"Jones has created an engaging set of characters and found a new use for many of the appurtenances of fairy tales....[Her] inventiveness never fails, and her conclusion is infinitely satisfying." School Library Journal

Synopsis

In which a witch bewitched the hatter's daughter — and then some...

Sophie lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in which anything could happen, and often did — especially when the Witch of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often.

As her younger sisters set out to seek their fortunes, Sophie stayed in her father's hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery.

Now Sophie must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle, taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on. Which was more than Sophie bargained for...

Synopsis

This beautifully written fantasy tackles the issues of slavery and freedom. Twelve-year-old Cymbril is a slave on Thunder Rake, a gigantic wagon city that rolls from town to town carrying goods to be sold by its resident merchants. The Rakes master purchases a new slave, a mysterious boy named Loric who is one of the magical Fey. Because he can see in the dark, Lorics duty is to guide the Rake through the treacherous wilderness at night.Cymbril and Loric secretly join forces to plan their escape—soon the two friends thread their way through a series of increasing dangers, encountering an enchanted market and deadly monsters as their one chance for freedom draws nearer.

About the Author

Diana Wynne Jones was raised in the village of Thaxted, in Essex, England. She has been a compulsive storyteller for as long as she can remember enjoying most ardently those tales dealing with witches, hobgoblins, and the like. Ms. Jones lives in Bristol, England, with her husband, a professor of English at Bristol University. They have three sons and two granddaughters.

4.8 12

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 4.8 (12 comments)

`
emily.spidergirl , May 17, 2014
This book is amazing! one of my favorite books of all time because it is different in a way that makes it unique.

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emmejo , July 26, 2010 (view all comments by emmejo)
Sophie was the eldest of 3 girls, which everyone knows means she is doomed to be unlucky. She is pretty sure that it is just her bad luck turning up again when she is cursed by the evil Witch of the Waste and turned into an old woman. However when she becomes a cleaning lady for the famed Wizard Howl, she thinks perhaps she might be able to find a way out of the curse and maybe even out of her bad luck! I had seen the anime that was based on this book before reading it, so I basically knew what was going to happen. Even so, it kept me on my toes with interesting plot developments and laughing at the absurdity of some parts and Sophie's dry (but witty!) humor. The characters were great, and more fleshed out and interesting than in the anime. The writing is quick and light, but drags you in and won't let you go until you finish the story.

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LEHAVRE7 , July 08, 2010
FIFTY YEARS PREVIOUSLY A WITCH CAME TO TERRORIZE THE COUNTRY & IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN ALL OVER AGAIN.EVERYONE IN THE TOWN THOUGHT THAT WHEN THE DARK SMOKE APPEARED,THAT THE WITCH SURELY HAD RETURNED.ALL THE YOUNG GIRLS WERE TOLD NOT TO GO OUT ON THE STREETS ALONE,BUT LETTIE,SOPHIA & MARTHA KNEW BETTER.DAM THOSE HATTER SISTERS.. THIS IS A STORY OF A FANTASY,FILLED WITH MAGIC,HUMOR & ROMANCE THAT WILL TAKE YOUR BREATHE AWAY.FROLIC ALONG WITH THE SISTERS INTO A WORLD FILLED WITH SURPRISES,BE TAKEN WITH EACH CHARACTER,AS WE DRAW THEM INTO OUR HEARTS.A MOST ENJOYABLE READ,THAT IS DESTINE TO BECOME AN ALL TIME BESTSELLER..

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`
RevolutionaryGirl_Eden , July 03, 2010 (view all comments by RevolutionaryGirl_Eden)
Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three daughters, lives in the town of Chipping Market which is in the kingdom of Ingary. Sophie is very good with the needle, she makes beautiful hats and dresses. Sophie works in the Hat Shop with her two sisters, Lettie and Martha, and her stepmother, Fanny. Eventually when Sophie's two sisters move out and find their own careers, she accepts the fact that being the eldest means you will have a very uninteresting life and she will not be able to seek her fortune. With her sisters gone Sophie is left to run the shop with her stepmother. Sophie is usually left running the shop on her own most of the time. With no one there to talk to, but hats, that's what she does; talk to the hats. One day Sophie is tired of her life, tired of being the eldest and not being able to seek her fortune. She's left to run the shop alone again when a very rude woman comes in and asks for a hat. Every hat she hands the woman, the woman doesn't seem to like it. Sophie is tired of putting up with everything; she insults the woman and the woman responds with turning Sophie into a very old woman. With nothing to lose, Sophie soon leaves the hat shop and goes to seek her fortune. Sophie ends up becoming a housekeeper for the Wizard Howl, who is known for eating the hearts of young girls. I first discovered Howl's Moving Castle in May of 2009 after watching the movie. I had never heard of Diana Wynne Jones before. But after seeing the movie I was eager to read the book. I think it took me four days to read and I enjoyed every single moment of it. Those four days I couldn't wait to wake up and read more of Sophie's adventure. Since reading Howl's Moving Castle, I have read quite a few other books by Diana Wynne Jones. She is wonderful and I owe her a lot. After reading Howl's Moving Castle I began to want to write again. I used to write stories when I was younger. But, just stopped one day. Diana Wynne Jones inspired me to write again. And now I'm writing my own fantasy book trilogy. Thanks to Diana Wynne Jones - And Howl's Moving Castle - I'm doing what I love again. Howl's Moving Castle is a wonderful, funny story with great characters. I highly recommend this book, to anyone and everyone. Actually I recommend any book by Diana Wynne Jones. She is an amazing author and I wish that more people knew about her.

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rinoa2u , June 15, 2008
howl's moving castle is a fun,magical and romantic book that will leave you asking for more. it also tackles the concept of beauty and family. i really like it. i just borrowed a copy from my friend and was supposed to return it immediately but i just reread it over and over again

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nancyhjohnson , June 02, 2008 (view all comments by nancyhjohnson)
This is a howler, all right--howlingly funny! Sophie, the hatter's daughter, is naturally frustrated when the Witch of the Waste turns her into an old lady. But then she goes head to head with the Wizard Howl, whose castle tends to move about. Then bizarre things really start to happen. What a delightful fantasy!

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Aarti , December 19, 2006 (view all comments by Aarti)
I loved this book! It is full of humor, memorable characters, magic spells and fire demons. Not many authors can pull off a novel with the two main characters being a 90-year-old woman and a self-centered and vain wizard. Diana Wynne Jones pulls it off with panache, and leaves readers with a thoroughly contented feeling at the finish. For those who enjoy Caroline Stevermer, Patricia C. Wrede, Teresa Edgerton (sadly out of print) and J. K. Rowling, this book is right up your alley. Jones is certainly an author I shall be looking into regularly in the future. Luckily for us all, she has written several books.

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WHISPER_1991 , November 28, 2006
I absolutley loved it! I loved the film even though it is totally different and I loved the novel. It was magical from the first page I couldn't set it down, and Howl is a real charmer. Sophie is the sweetest she ties everyone together. I one word to describe it...MAGICAL!!!

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gabbymeetthepress , November 18, 2006
I've just started reading this book and it's fantastic! Howl is a harthrob- especially if you've seen the movie before. The movie is also great and intruiging, it's one of my faves!

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Magentian , October 26, 2006
A unique fantasy novel that, while maintaining many of the ideals of fantasy literature, finds ways to creatively incorporate them into a delightful plot. It's enjoyable, and the characters are funny, delightful, and very human - particularly Howl and Calcifer. But you'll have to read it many times to catch all the small details and foreshadowing that Jones ties into the main storyline.

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mimagirl , August 21, 2006 (view all comments by mimagirl)
Sophie is the eldest of three sisters, which everyone knows is terribly unlucky. When the Witch of the Waste turns up and transforms Sophie into an old woman, things go from bad to worse! Sophie goes to seek help from the Wizard Howl and discovers that he is not what many believe him to be. Will she ever be able to gain help to break the spell? Full of memorable characters and quirky situations, Howl's Moving Castle is a fully-fleshed fantasy enjoyable for readers 13 and up.

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Cairean , August 11, 2006
I love this book so much. I have read it close to 10 times at least! It is one of my favourites. I think that EVERYONE who likes stories of witches and wizards should read this book. Even people not interested in witches and wizards should read it and I can bet they will be interested soon!Its that great!

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780064410342
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
08/07/2001
Publisher:
Harpercollins Childrens Books
Series info:
World of Howl
Language:
English
Edition:
Reprint
Pages:
329
Height:
6.50
Width:
4.00
Thickness:
.75
LCCN:
BL2001004854
Series Number:
1
Age Range:
13-17 and up
Grade Range:
from 8
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
2001
Series Volume:
1
UPC Code:
2800064410344
Author:
Diana Wynne Jones
Subject:
Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy
Subject:
Wizards
Subject:
Fantasy

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