Howl's Moving Castle

By: Diana Wynne Jones

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book and ALA Notable and Best of the Year in Young Adult Fiction, Howl's Moving Castle is by acclaimed fantasy writer Diane Wynne Jones and was transformed into an Academy Award nominated animated motion picture by Hayao Miyazaki. On a rare venture out from her step-mother's hat shop, Sophie attracts the attention of a witch, who casts a terrible spell transforming the young girl into an old crone.

©1986 Diana Wynne Jones (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"A wonderful blend of humor, magic, and romance." (Publishers Weekly)

Better than the movie... and that's saying a lot.

It is quite different than the movie. Some parts are similar, sometimes things that happened at the beginning of the movie happen at the end of the book and vice versa. I liked the characters a lot more, in the book, as there was plenty of time to flesh them out and get into their issues.

This all being said, I might have had a difficult time understanding the magical side of things, the house in 4 places, the change, Calcifer, the scarecrow... without having seen the movie first. Personally, I'm glad I saw it first, then read the book. I was so much more pleased with it then had it been the other way around.

The movie had it's own agenda, which wasn't in this book at all, and that was the war. I mean, war was suggested as a possibility in the future, but that wasn't the point of the book. And honestly, that annoyed me in the movie. The book, instead, focused on characters, vibrant descriptions, mystery and excitement.

Quite good and very enjoyable. :)

One of my favorite books

I downloaded "Howl's Moving Castle" based on all the great reviews, even though I had never heard of this book. I have young children and like to read ahead and give them good recommendations. That being said, I absolutely loved this book. I listened once, then had to listen again the minute I was done. I am now reading it outloud with my kids - although I am not nearly as entertaining to listen to as Jenny Sterlin (narrator). As a matter of fact, I am wondering if I loved this book so much because of the great narration or the amazing story. I am eager to get going on the sequel - "House of Many Ways."

First Listen

I loved this book. My daughter and i watched the movie and i loved the story so i got the book. It is a children's book, but i was so amused that i wished it wouldn't have ended. I recommend this to anyone of any age.

Enjoyable listen

I got this for a family road trip, and it did the job of distracting us pleasantly very well. I liked the voices the narrator used, and though Howl's accent sounded weird to me at first, it grew on me.

I really enjoy this story. My favorite all-time line, (spoken in Howl's accent):

"Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean, sooner or later— probably sooner— I’d look up to see you swooping overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”

A Fantasy Joy

Dianna Wynne Jones classic fantasy book Howl's Moving Castle is whimsical, humorous, intricate and delightful. The characters are hilarious and lovable with an engaging story. The narrator was fantastic at creating discernible voices for each character. Loved it!

Great Read

I listened to it over and over, loved it. Written well and narrated by the right person!

Good story, but narrator was... odd.

While the story was good, the narrator had weird accents. I knew they were all supposed to have English accents, but sometimes I felt that Howl sounded like he was from Eastern Europe rather then from anywhere in the UK. It became distracting sometimes... a lot of times. But other than that it was good.

fun story

I originally read this book twenty years ago. I had to listen to this delightful narration. I'd forgotten how frustrating Howell was-- and as Sophie the heroine says "a slitherer outer".

I won't bore you with plot- you can read the description, but I highly recommend this story!

Fantasy Favorite

I used to reread it but now I prefer listening to it. It’s my favorite of her books. I actually saw the video first, and it’s a winner too. If you want a lively fantasy that’s light on angst but strong on plot and characterization, this is it. Most highly recommended for both audiobook & video.

Perfect narrator for this book.

This was a joy to listen to, but sometimes Howl is a little too much and the ending seemed ever so slightly rushed together.