Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Castle Book 1)

by Diana Wynne Jones

It was odd. As a girl, Sophie would have shriveled 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.

“The day Howl forgets to do that will be the day I believe he’s really in love, and not before.”

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.

“I’m dying of boredom,” Howl said pathetically. “Or maybe just dying.”

“I’ve never seen why people put such value on things being natural,” Howl said, and Sophie knew then that he was scarcely changed at all.