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HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE:
My Perfect Fairytale Feel Read
by Vicki Hooper
I
adore fairytales, and I love books about them, stories that play with them or
retell them, or that use fairytale elements in fun and interesting ways. There
are so many great tales from our past, from all over the world, that still
continue to capture our imaginations.
I
have lots of favourite traditional fairytales, but today I want to talk about
something a bit different. I want to talk about a novel that’s very special to
me, which uses some of the common features of folklore and fairy stories to
create a new fairytale, something that is modern yet feels so traditional and
magical. Howl’s Moving Castle, for
me, is the book for fairytale lovers.
It gets everything so right that I’m as enchanted as a first time reader on
every re-read.
A
Floating Castle...
I
mean, can you ask for a better fairytale setting? The Wizard Howl’s castle
floats just above the ground, bobbing along across fields and flower-covered
meadows. Outside it’s a formidable fortress – inside, it’s a comfy cottage room
with a roaring fire and comfy chairs. The main doorknob can be twisted into
four different positions, magically leading to different locations around the
world. Since I first read it I’ve desperately wished I could have a floating
castle of my own!
A
Fairytale World...
The
world of the book is definitely your standard fairytale kingdom. Well, with
perhaps a few little differences. There are seven-league boots, magical potions
and spells, destinies and curses, a king, a princess, and even a wicked witch.
But, while the people living in this land are familiar with fairy story rules,
things don’t always go as you might imagine. Sisters defy the fate given to
them, princesses might be smaller and soggier than imagined, and brave court
wizards are... well, not so brave. And prone to tantrums.
Imagine
staring into a fire and picturing a face in the flickering flames, only to
realise that it really is a face;
imagine a falling star begging a young boy not to catch it; imagine a person
with the power to talk magic into inanimate objects; and you can see why Diana
Wynne Jones gets the feel of her magical and slightly quirky world so spot on.
Cursed
By A Witch and Off To Seek Her Fortune...
A
classic beginning. Poor Sophie Hatter is cursed by the Witch of the Waste to
age into an old woman. She leaves home to seek her fortune and soon finds
herself shaking her walking stick at a floating castle, bullying her way
inside, and generally bossing around the fire demon and self-obsessed wizard
who live there. Sophie seems to muddle through in her own personal tornado of
disaster, but she has more power than she imagines. She just has to find the
confidence to use it. Like most good fairytales, this is a story about growing
up and accepting who you are, and about finding a special kind of power in
whatever makes you you.
Romance...
In
my opinion, romance is so important to fairytales. There doesn’t necessarily
have to be a love story (but I like it if there is one), but there has to be a feeling of romance.
Thankfully, Howl’s Moving Castle has
both. There is a feeling of fate bringing characters together alongside a
beautifully written relationship that grows so naturally. I find it rare for
love stories to capture that magical destined-to-be element with a relationship
that also feels real and is given time to develop. This book does this so
right; the love story is not centre stage at all, yet the whole novel is
brimming with romance.
Three
Sisters...
“In the land of
Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility
really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone
knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set
out to seek your fortunes.” (First lines of the book)
Well,
unless you’re the Hatter sisters – then you’re probably going to end up
choosing your own destinies, messing around with magic, switching identities,
and confusing a lot of people in the process.
“‘It’s not
fair!’ Lettie would shout. ‘Why should Martha have the best of it just because
she was born the youngest? I shall marry a prince, so there!’ To which Martha
always retorted that she would end up disgustingly rich without having to marry
anybody.”
Larger
Than Life Personalities...
Fairytales
should be full of colourful and fascinating personalities. Here, with
characters like Sophie, Howl and Calcifer, you really can’t go wrong. And even
better, there are so many more wonderful characters to get to know over the
course of the book. For me, reading Howl’s
Moving Castle again is like coming home to visit old friends.
Short
and Sweet...
All
good fairytales are short and to the point. Some might only be short stories
whereas others are novels, but they all tend to have a great sense of pace and
of events moving forward. Howl’s Moving
Castle is packed so full of fairytale adventure that every time I re-read
it I’m surprised at just how much is in there, and yet it is such a quick, easy
and delightful read. And, like the best fairytales, it will stay in your heart
long after you’ve turned the last page.
Are
you looking for other modern books that recreate a traditional fairytale feel,
set in a fantasy rather than modern setting, while telling a completely new
story? If so, it’s definitely worth checking out Diana Wynne Jones’s other
books (really, she’s the queen of fairy stories), in particular the sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle – Castle in the Air. Another great
fairytale feel read is Stardust by
Neil Gaiman. The Fairyland (The Girl Who...) series by Catherynne M Valente is
a must, beginning with The Girl Who
Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. A slightly darker
fairytale read that I loved is Poison
by Chris Wooding. Do you have any other suggestions? What fairytale feel reads
have you loved?
~*~
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Release Date: Jan. 1, 1986
Publisher: Greenwillow Books // HarperCollins
SUMMARY:
Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.(
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