Oh I love Howl's Moving Castle! And the Castle in the Sky! AND the House of Many Ways! :love:

I actually read it after I saw the movie, but I prefer the books a million times over! I find all the characters much more relatable and interesting, and I don't have to put up with Howl's stupid voice in the dubbed version. :XD Although I do still like the movie, I wasn't exactly dippy over it to begin with, it's never been one of my favourite Ghibli movies. But Miyazaki's movies are never bad, so I couldn't possibly dislike it.

Now I've read quite a few of her books, she's probably one of y favourite living authors. :D

I just watched the movie a few weeks ago and loved it I totaly loved the characters and the plot and found howl funny expecally when he got uber upset because she accidently died his hair! lol I loved it! But I am starting my trek into the anime world and I really like most of the ones that ive seen so far.

i like both the book and the movie, they're awesome :)

I saw the movie a while back. I actually don't really know what to make of the movie to be honest. It wasn't bad...but it was very confusing. I think its one of those movies you need to see more than once to really get it.

I did not know that there was a book behind the movie!

I entirely agree! Sophie was much more likeable in the book, and the book, in general, was much better, I think. <3 The book wins!

I read it after I saw the movie. And I'll admit I do like the book better simply because it explains why Sophie's stuck in the hat shop at the beginning. And knowing Howl's background story a little more is interesting though. I have yet to read the rest of the series and meet their kid.

must read it. when i do i will post a response. ^^

I had really enjoyed the movie and then read the book and I have to say the book is one of my favorites. I love the language in it and I think the plot's a bit better in the book.

Howl's Moving Castle is an awesome book. However, the movie and the book are a bit different. While the plots are very similar, the movie had a lot of Miyazaki's familiar staple themes (natural landscapes, solving one's problems, airships). The characters are also modified for the film, such as Calcifer being cute instead of scary, the Witch of the Waste a large woman instead of young and beautiful. Wizard Suliman is changed from a male and an ally to "Madame Suliman", a female antagonist.

The biggest change I really noticed was Howl's past that they covered in the book but not in the movie, at first I thought it would throw me for a loop but I soon found I liked the book's version of Howl better anyway.

I've just finished reading it enjoyed it thoroughly <3
I've already recommended it to all of my friends and I thought it was well written and generally a good story.

as people may or may not know Miyazaki's Howls Moving Castle is based off a book.:yumeh1: i wondered of anyone has read it? i love it and have read it several times but i've found very few people who have also read the book. i'd love to know your opinion of the book and if you like the movie or the book better.:vicky:

I've seen the movie and read the book, I thought both were good but to tell the truth the movie confused me so badly O_o The book was far much easier to make sense of, I enjoyed it thoroughly. So far I've only read it once (some time last month I think...) but I think It'll be one of those books that I can read over and over again. I haven't read Castle in the Air or House of Many Ways yet but plan on doings so soon :3

i got Castle in the Air hoping it would be the continue the story of Sophie and Howl but it's a different world and story. i haven't read it yet but i plan on it. the movie like most movies moved really fast and many details were lost. every time i see the film i see something i haven't seen before and it helps with the story. i think reading the book helped me understand the story and enjoy the film even more. your right it is one of those books you can read again and again. i enjoy it every time and find something new my mind missed on the previous reads.

I have the book, but I haven't read it yet!

Partly because my "to read" list is becoming precariously tall, and partly because I'm not sure if I could find it, at the moment!

I read this way after I watched the movie, and I must say I was a bit disappointed. Not to say that the book itself didn't have good points I did enjoy it. Its just Howl seemed so much more snobbish and rude, almost to the point of being unlikeable. So I suppose that's what threw me off, that and the movie suited my tastes more than the book. Although I did like how the book got more into Howl's character's background than the movie did.

I actually read the book way before I heard there was a movie, and I was a little disappointed in the movie. I really love the book though, my copy is really beat up. Dianne Wynne Jones is one of my favorites, and if you loved Howl's Moving Castle you should definitely try the Chrestomanci series, because it has equally interesting flawed-but-still-lovable characters.

I loved the mystery component of the book and trying to figure out what was going on with Howl and Calcifer, and that wasn't really in the movie so much. Also, the endings are way different, but they are both satisfying. Honestly, I probably prefer the book because it has a lot of happy memories tied to it and the movie doesn't, so I don't know if my opinion is really reliable.

i found it funny and weird at the same time xD

I read the book after seeing the movie on tv a few summer's ago. I must admit I loved the book's story more then the movie it's self. I wish to get a copy of this book someday. I like how the story let us see Howls past more and how Sophi was more different are likable in said book. ((sorry if I sound confusing everyone.))

I had no idea this would be book, maybe a child's book? The movie had some slightly mature themes so I guess it would have been a graphic novel? I really liked the movie. It was strange but hey, animes are usually strange and eccentric, which is like me. heheheheheheh!!!

I've both seen the movie and read the book. I saw the movie so long ago, though, that I can't remember almost anything about it. I read up on the movie after I finished the book, and I realized that might be for the best! At least then I wasn't expecting it to be like the movie.

I loved everything about the book! It was seriously one of the best things I've ever read! Hell, it might actually BE the best thing I've ever read. I loved the characters, and every one of them felt real to me. Jones' description is so amazing! It's simple enough that it's easily understood by almost anyone, unique in the way that she phrases descriptions, and the writing flowed amazingly. I didn't find a single part of that book that caught me up like a sentence or a word was out of place.

I absolutely loved Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer. They are definitely my favorites! Howl's snarky comments always had me in stitches.

The way that everything tied in at the end... ah! My heart was soaring. I love and admire authors who can actually do that and make it work.

I've been wanting to read this book forever, and I'm glad I found this thread.
It's good to hear that it seems like it's an enchanting novel.
Just reading everyone's opinion on it makes me want to run down to Hastings and get it.

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I've been wanting to read this book forever, and I'm glad I found this thread.
It's good to hear that it seems like it's an enchanting novel.
Just reading everyone's opinion on it makes me want to run down to Hastings and get it.

I had to order the book online, since my local bookstore didn't have it. I was so surprised, but yet pleased at how different the book was from the anime. Usually I get grumpy when the movie and the book are so different, but in this case it was like two completely different tales, which were yet similar.

There were so many many extra background things in the book that explained so many other things... It was rich. And so funny! I never expected Howl to be who he turned out to be! I wish there were more like this book.

If there is a book behind the movie I must find and ravage it immediately.