From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle, #1)

Diana Wynne Jones

Start date: November 1, 2020

Finish date: November 30, 2020

Discussion: Howl's Moving Castle

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Howl's Moving Castle

HMC: What if it's Jane Austen?
By Jenny (Readin… · 19 posts · 107 views

last updated Nov 19, 2020 10:17AM

HMC: differences with the movie
By Ruth · 19 posts · 117 views

last updated Nov 14, 2020 01:33PM

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What Members Thought

Jul 25, 2013 Chessa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: sf_fantasy, ya, the-mary-sue

That was the LONGEST 212 pages of my life! That might be a slight exaggeration, but seriously, I cannot remember the last time such a short book took such a long time to get through.

I know this is going to be a very unpopular review, since all my friends that have read this have given this 5 stars. First off, this is one of those times I saw the movie before I even knew there was a book - and I loooove the movie. But, oh my gosh, I could just not find my footing with this book. The pacing was so That was the LONGEST 212 pages of my life! That might be a slight exaggeration, but seriously, I cannot remember the last time such a short book took such a long time to get through.

I know this is going to be a very unpopular review, since all my friends that have read this have given this 5 stars. First off, this is one of those times I saw the movie before I even knew there was a book - and I loooove the movie. But, oh my gosh, I could just not find my footing with this book. The pacing was so incredibly slow. I usually don't have a hard time concentrating on books in general, but I have never been so distractible in years as with this one. Squirrel! Huh? What, I only read 1 paragraph?! It felt like 10 pages! Argh!

I have been meaning to read this for a while, and when it came up as the pick of the month for an online book club (where I nominated it!) I thought, great, now's the time. And maybe that was part of the problem - I felt a lot of pressure to read it *right now* whether I was in the headspace for it or not (and it's a library book with a holds list, so I had a limited amount of time). So, time limit enforced, I forced myself into it. And I mean, forced. Like, I put myself on a book diet. I will read X number of pages of this today to make the due date. Then, I will read X number of pages and then I can go check Litsy. The bribes, they were crucial.

What I liked:
Magic!
Wales?! I loved that. That departure from the movie kind of saved me midway through. I might have bailed otherwise.
Sophie (and to some extent Howl) is a thoroughly unlikeable character that you can't help feel sympathetic for anyway. Like a real person.

What I didn't like:
OMG GLACIAL PACE
I just felt...adrift. Like a leaf floating on a breeze, flitting over here for a bit of story, then over here, aimless. Squirrel!
Many, many of the secondary characters just felt like props. Total cardboard.

So there it is. I did it. And before any of you complain that I'm a terrible person for not loving this, just remember that Neil Gaiman agrees with YOU about this book, and so you are clearly right and I am wrong and we can all just go on with our lives happily, ok? Ok! ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2018 Joanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya

What a wonderful story! I'd never seen the movie so I went into this completely cold. It's like a folktale but then it's an alternate universe story. Clever and fun. I will make sure my daughter reads this one, I would've been obsessed with this as a kid! ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2015 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-book-club

This reread and it was still a great book. This time I could see all the pieces as they came together, and also track Sophie's emotional journey as she makes friends with Michael and starts to care for Howl. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2010 Megan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-supernatural

I wish I had read this book years ago! I liked everything about it: the characters, the story, the sort of provincial low-fantasy setting.

Howl was such a well written character - vain, insecure, ridiculous and obnoxious and yet you (and the other characters) could not help but be a bit obsessed as well.

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Jan 06, 2014 Francis x rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: digital-book

Its have included at the end, an extras inside: three excerpt from novels; Chapter one -- "Dark Lord of Derkholm","The Merlin Conspiracy","Archer's Goon".
And also an author interviews. Where she explained the book and and it is different than the movie. ...more

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