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arabellafleetwood's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Minor: Bullying, Violence, and Alcohol
bi_n_large's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Bullying and Toxic relationship
novella42's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think my favorite part was getting a clearer glimpse at the interiority of the characters (mostly Sophie) and what made them tick. It's very clear to me now that Howl is neurodivergent and likely coded for autism, though it's unclear how aware the author was of that when she wrote it in 1986. Mild spoiler:
Howl, the resident Manic Pixie Dreamboy, is still a frustrating character with a lot of elements of misogyny to unpack, concerning infidelity and relationships with minors. For example, Sophie is 17 and he is in his early/mid 20s. (There's no Storygraph tag for ageism, but this book definitely has a lot of ageism, with many characters valuing youth above all else in small and large ways.) Howl is kind to her in different ways, and they seem to (kind of?) work well together, but it's not clear to me exactly why she falls for him after being frustrated with him for most of the book. It felt like a lot of stuff I've read/seen from the 80s where a lot of stuff gets excused because love enters the equation.
Howl's Moving Castle has a very "oral history fairytale told around the fire" kind of voice to me. A lot happens in exposition. Also, I don't typically enjoy mysteries because I can rarely solve the puzzles before the end and don't get the dopamine hit from that which some friends enjoy. But I suspect if you enjoy solving mysteries, this one might feel a little, um. Oddball.
I hesitated to read this book because body horror is usually a hard no for me due to trauma, but a friend said it wasn't graphic in the way I usually find hard, so I gave it a try with the reading equivalent of tiptoeing cautiously into the book. It ended up being fine for me. If anyone else is concerned about that, here's a clear detailed spoiler of what that means:
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Infidelity, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Bullying, Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
a_islandcriptid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The whole series is quite funny, and very engrossing! Diana Wynn Jones is, as always, a fantastic writer and all of the characters have depth, and the characters' story feels very real (especially for being set in a fantasy world).
It is very different from the Studio Ghibli movie (which is also amazing, and I recommend) but they are better enjoyed if they are not compared against eachother and each let to stand on their own merits. The go together and prop eachother up but are also fairly seperate stories and worlds. (The movie will probably make more sense, and has more depth if you know the book.)
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, and Kidnapping
baearles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Minor: Bullying, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Violence, and Death of parent