“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 the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.”
Charming. Whimsical. Timeless. Howl’s Moving Castle is a story about a girl named Sophie who is the eldest of three in a land in which to be the eldest of three means to fail miserably if she were to go out into the world and seek her fortune. One day, Sophie accidentally incurs the wrath of The Witch of the Waste and gets turned into an old woman. With nowhere else to go, Sophie goes to the wizard Howl’s castle and strikes a deal with a fire demon to break the curse on her, and in exchange, she’ll break his contract with Howl.
“That’s why I love spiders. ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’”
This is a book for everyone, and no matter how old or how young, you will get something out of it, and the meaning will change each time you read it. It is one of those rare books that will follow you throughout the course of your life and mean something different to you depending upon where you are at life. Sophie’s courage and spunk, Howl’s charm and complexity, Calcifer’s wit and devotion, Michael’s love and perseverance culminate into a magical story that truly continues to live and breathe even after the last page has been read.
“I think we ought to live happily ever after.”
Unseelie Queen of Crows 