Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

An absolutely fabulous book with deep character development and a beautifully realized world built carefully by Diana Wynne Jones (DWJ).

Sophie is the oldest of three girls. As the oldest, she knows that she is not going to become successful in life. That's just the way it is. And when the Witch of the Waste puts a spell on her, making Sophie appear as an old woman to everyone (even herself), Sophie knows it's time to just give up and go to the castle of the evil Wizard Howl. It's rumored that he eats young girls. But Sophie's not a young girl anymore, so what can it hurt?

Inside the moving castle, Sophie makes herself at home (against the wishes of everyone there). We meet characters like Michael Fisher, Howl's apprentice and Calcifer, the demon who seems to be linked to Howl (though neither seems to want to be linked still). We also find out what happened to Sophie's sisters as well as her (evil?) stepmother.

A fantastic book that just gets better every time I read it. A strong female character whose main flaw in life is that she can't imagine any other way than what "has to be" and comes to realize that she has her own strengths and might just be able to make her own way in the world. And maybe even rescue her handsome prince...

Five stars

This book came out April 1986

Followed by Castle in the Air

Borrowed as audiobook from Cloud Library

Opinions are my own