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

by Diana Wynne Jones

As a girl, Sophie would have shrivelled with embarrassment at the way she was behaving. As an old woman, she did not mind what she did or said. She found that a great relief.

It seems as if those of high ability cannot resist some extra, dangerous stroke of cleverness, which results in a fatal flaw and begins a slow decline to evil.

“Nobody’s safe in a wizard’s house,”

There was a warm, milky haze out there, filled with scent and half-hidden colours.

Howl said, “I think we ought to live happily ever after,” and she thought he meant it. Sophie knew that living happily ever after with Howl would be a good deal more eventful than any story made it sound, though she was determined to try.