Like many others, I was enchanted by Miyazaki's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle when I watched it at a young age, and continuously returned to the film. The story, characters and beautiful art and soundtrack all combined perfectly to create something magical. Studio Ghibli adapted the book perfectly - they made alterations necessary in order to translate the main atmosphere, complex story and characters into film format while still keeping the most important elements, the lighthearted feeling and the sense of magic intact. However, after reading the book, I feel able to fully appreciate the world, story and characters of Howl's Moving Castle in a way that just isn't possible within the constraints of a movie.
I was quite taken with Diana Wynne Jones' writing style right off the bat, however, the further I progressed through the novel, the more I came to appreciate its charm. You can feel her presence so strongly and having finished the novel I feel acquainted with her despite this being the only book of hers I've read. She injects humour throughout the book without it being out of place or annoying. Phrases such as "I hope your bacon burns" and Howl's hyperbolic "I'm going up to my room now, where I may die" make the characters and their relationships with each other more compelling and add humour to the novel. Her writing is simultaneously concise and simple and beautifully detailed, while still being humorous and delightfully charming.
The dynamics between the characters were hugely entertaining and while they were all quite exaggerated and strange, it was perfectly integrated with the exaggerated and strange world they were living in. Therefore, it did not feel incongruous, but instead made me come to appreciate every character in a way I didn't expect. I loved seeing Sophie adapt to her old age and the way she saw the world completely differently while still being herself. Her being old spurred her to leave behind her dead-end job in a hat shop and seek the fortune she'd always believed she would never find due to her being the eldest sibling. It also allowed her to develop characteristics that made her character much more interesting and compelling. She became nosy and bossy which, in a story so complex and with so many secrets was necessary to both advance the plot and help keep the reader actively curious. This was also helped by the continuing reveals as Diana Wynne Jones neatly tied all the many elements of the story together to eventually make a cohesive ending.
So much of reading Howl's Moving Castle was a new experience for me due to its originality and its lack of reliance of tropes, for example, it was unusual and exciting to have an old woman be the narrator of a children's book. The range of ages gave us an opportunity to see various perspectives on situations and characters, especially with Michael being 15 and Sophie being old. We got to see Sophie's more mature view of Michael and his development being right on the cusp of childhood and adulthood, along with both of their opinions of Howl. It was also an interesting dynamic to have Howl be a drama queen with flawed morality who was so dislikable, especially in the beginning. It allowed us to see not only his development so intensely, but also the developments of the characters around him in response to his actions. Not to mention, the world itself was original and delightful. It was just so much fun to read and the uniqueness only added to this.
I also loved each of the places we got to visit. Kingsbury, Porthaven, the Waste, the fields of beautiful flowers, each one had its own distinct feeling and purpose in the novel. The link with Wales was what surprised me most though. I may just be reading the wrong books, but I haven't read many books set in Wales, especially more modern fantasy books, and it was really nice to see it described through the eyes of someone who had never even visited our world. It helps us see Howl as human. He is introduced as a mythic figure, a legend to the people of Ingary who see him more as a monster, or an untouchable being than a man. We get to see him as more human as we get to know him and all his flaws, but seeing his home and family in Wales, where he comes from and how they view him, really helps consolidate that. It was, for me, very unexpected but also a wonderful element to the story.
The novel isn't without flaws, however. Some of the plot and action, especially towards the end felt a little contrived. Parts of the plot also felt a little overcomplicated, especially for a children's book. I felt a little confused trying to follow all the plot lines, places and characters at times, but I did get used to it before long. Although there are flaws, I did not feel they took away from the reading experience or my overall view of the book. After all, everything has flaws and Diana Wynne Jones did everything else so well that I could easily overlook them. If you loved the film, I would definitely recommend giving the book a try, however, it is important to bear in mind that they are two very different experiences. They are, despite being the same premise, different. The film obviously places much more importance on the visual aspects and putting a lot of impact in a short timeframe, while the book develops the characters and relationships more and has the full plot. They are both enchanting, but in vastly different ways.
'I think we ought to live happily ever after.'
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