Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a Treasure

When I was in college, one of my best friends lent me her copy of the novel Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Like most people, I was familiar with the movie, in fact, I loved it, but I was barely even aware of the book upon which it was based. I certainly hadn't read it. And I didn't read it then either! I was a flaky friend and I never got around to reading it and eventually I had to return the book because it was clear I had no intentions of actually cracking the thing open.

My mistake. It's now like 8 or so years later and I finally managed to read the thing. I picked up an e-book from an online library and read it over a few days last week. I'm not really a huge fan of fantasy books, like Lord of the Rings is just the worst thing I can possibly imagine reading, but this was not a hard book to get into. It's surprisingly grounded, so I got into it immediately. Like the characters in the book, I didn't even blink at the mention of witches and wizards. The way that Diana Wynne Jones describes the fantastical elements of the story makes them seem commonplace and mundane.

So, how does the book differ from the movie? Honestly, they're like two totally different stories with similar but different characters. There are superficial things, like how Sophie in the book has strawberry blonde-ish hair and how Markl is actually a tan/black teenager named Michael instead of a cute little boy. Instead of Calcipher being a cute little orange flame, he's a freaky blue fire. And Howl does not turn into a feathered beast thing. Sophie's old age does not fluctuate as it does in the movie. She's old and she stays old until the end. But these are just aesthetic differences. The story and characterization are where things very noticeably diverge.

The book eludes to the fact that a war might be starting soon and it's really not that important except for it gives the King a little bit of motivation. But the movie's backdrop is a war and Howl is more or less a conscientious objector. This serves as the main conflict of the movie, because the main source of conflict in the book--the Witch of the Waste--gets turned into a helpless old woman with dementia. The Witch of the Waste is a much bigger and mysterious villain in the book.

The book also shows us that Howl is something of an interdimensional traveller. In the movie, there's a bit of time travel, but Howl's castle in the book has a door that opens into modern-day Wales. Like, the real world place. He's got a sister who lives there with a niece and a nephew and he used to play rugby and has a doctorate that he earned in a real life university. Howl's family plays a role in the book that is totally neglected in the movie.

Speaking of families, Sophie has not one, but two sisters. Both of her younger sisters play a larger role in the book. Lettie (who in the book is brunette, not blonde) is something of a potential love interest to Howl (though there's a twist with that). Her other sister, Martha, who is not at all represented in the movie, has a love story with Michael, Howl's apprentice. These "love stories" are pivotal to the plot of the book and are central to most of Sophie's motivations.

Howl's rugby playing is just one unexplored aspect of his personality in the movie. The book version of Howl is simultaneously more and less likable than he is in the movie. He's much more vain, sarcastic and sassy, cowardly, and dramatic. He's an all-around difficult guy. However, he's also more funny, compassionate, charming, and brave. He's more three-dimensional. And by the end of the book, he had me eating out of the palm of his hand. Like Sophie, I was smitten.

And while we're talking about Sophie, she's so impulsive in the book that it will drive you crazy. She's constantly saying and doing the stupidest stuff. She's stubborn, cranky, and kind of stupid. These sides of her personality are completely neglected in the movie, choosing to focus instead on her inferiority complex and propensity for cleaning, which are also critical to her character in the book. As a protagonist, the Sophie of the book is easy to relate to. We all feel incompetent and jealous at times and she embodies these feelings. I think she's also a lot funnier this way.

So which do I prefer? The book or the movie? Honestly, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. The movie is much more peaceful, even though it's more about the war. It is a beautiful story for sure and I appreciate the themes that they explored as it relates to the war happening in the background. The movie neglected the personalities of the characters, but it was to create time for beautiful scenery and crafting a moral, so I can forgive it and embrace it for those things. The book is just so funny, though. And I like the characters about a thousand times more than in the movie. I can say that I prefer the story/plot of the movie, but the characters of the book. But I honestly recommend checking both out and making your own call!