Okay, first I want you to picture Jane Eyre. A suppressed young woman - much like an old lady in a young girl's body - decides to leave her oppressive beginnings and make her way in the world. Only now, make it literal - a suppressed young girl cursed to actually look like an old woman. Now for Mr. Rochester... make him ten years younger, give him magical powers, and have him ride an enormous moving castle instead of a stumbling horse. Turn Bertha Rochester into an evil witch ex-girlfriend, and you've got Howl's Moving Castle.
Now, for those of you who haven't read Jane Eyre, I'll have to give a slightly less enigmatic explanation. Howl's Moving Castle is the hilarious story of a young girl named Sophie changed into an old woman by the sinister Witch of the Waste. She then goes out to seek her fortune, and ends up as the cleaning lady of the wizard Howl, reputed to be a demon that devours young girls' hearts. While all this may seem familiar to those who have seen the animated Miyazaki film by the same name, please don't go expecting any more similarities, because there aren't any.
By far the best thing about Howl's Moving Castle is the characters - particularly the interplay between Howl and Sophie. Howl is vain, childish, and selfish, and though he doesn't eat women's hearts, he does certainly seem to have some romance problems. Sophie, on the other hand, is practical, down to earth, plain, and unromantic. The one trait they share is that they're both ridiculously stubborn - leading to a lot of interesting confrontations. Michael, Howl's assistant, also plays an important role, but I'd have to say that by far my favorite character would have to be Calcifer, the fire demon that powers the castle. Diana Wynne Jones had a stroke of genius in creating a creature that was simultaneously so powerful and so vulnerable - able to preform great feats of magic in connection with Howl, but unable to leave his hearth.
Over all, the things that I must stress about this book is that it is witty, clever, and hilarious. I apologize for quality of this review, but the AC in our house is busted, and it's way too hot to think straight - I'm really not doing the book justice. But if you're interested in a lively fantasy with a side of romance, just trust me. This is the book for you.
