I have never read the book but I completely love the movie. The story and the animation together are wonderful and I just can't get bored of it.

I read the book well after I had first seen the movie. I was surprised at how different it was from the movie.
Personaly I prefer the movie. The story seems more kept together and less scattered like the book. The book had a lot of random things going on. Though I liked some aspects of it like Knowing more about Sophie's sisters. There were some things I didn't care for too like Howl actually coming from modern times.

personally i would read the book first then the movie. no matter what the rateings are i will still watch it, and read them

p.s how could i find the spirited away book?! i cant find it anywhere!

ive only seen the movie. been wanting to read the book but i keep forgetting to look for it whenever i go to borders heh

Originally Posted by Pirodarkness

personally i would read the book first then the movie. no matter what the rateings are i will still watch it, and read them

p.s how could i find the spirited away book?! i cant find it anywhere!

I don't think there is a book. The best thing you could get is probably a movie manga.

Originally Posted by annoy_tts

ive only seen the movie. been wanting to read the book but i keep forgetting to look for it whenever i go to borders heh

When you remember to look it's in the young adult section there are two different editions though. One has an interview with Diana Wynn Jones.

I prefer the movie. Although the book will always, most times, have a lot more detail to give the reader, the reader has to actually have the will to finish the book. With a movie, most people will stick around and watch because it is animated and there are awesome special effects. Taht and the movie basically sums up the book in an hour or so time.

If I really like the movie of something I will often read the book to get in touch with the characters. You have to have a good imagination for Howls Castle >.<

what first drew me me to 'howl's moving castle' was the miyazaki movie... i love just about every miyazaki movie i have seen and when i saw 'howl's...' i was totally in love with it... it was even the movie that made me have a huge crush on christian bale... :sweat: maybe that's too much info... anyhoo... *ahem* ...

the one thing that confused me some was why sophie kept changing from really old to somewhat old to young... and i didn't really figure it out till i read the book... which i also absolutely love and have read it at least 7 times...

'castle in the air' was alright, i just like the sophie and howl pairing better and wished there was more with them... oh and abdullah was kind of annoying in the way he spoke...

the third book sounds pretty good, but i haven't read it yet...

so, all in all... i guess i like the book minutely better... i like all the details you didn't get in the movie...

I enjoyed both, but I prefer the book over the movie personally. >.>

I never read the book but I saw the movie and I fell in love with it. I saw it on tv earlier this year and went out and bought it on DVD. I've been watching it when I can and can't get enough of it. I just love Howl...he is soo cute and mysterious. Calcifer is hilarious.

That is a hard question. I love the movie. Hayao Miazaki is one of the most talented anime directors in history. He can take topics that many would find boring and bring them to light in the most entertaining ways (Most of his films are based off of Japanese History.

I am sad to say, however that I like the book much better than the movie. You get much more details on Sophie and Howl there than in the movie, which is only expected. For example, in the book Sophie is, in fact, a witch. The movie just makes mention of her being one as somewhat of a running joke. Also, the book informs us that Howl is from Wales, and the black door does not lead to Howl's past (or wherever the bloody thing takes him in the movie), but to 'our world', for lack of better ways to explain it.


(A bit of Trivia: Miazaki went to Dianna Wayne Jones about making her book into an animated feature back when he was not so well known and she turned him down. When he became big, she went to him and asked if the offer was still open.)

The book. The book explains so much that was confusing is the movie.

i like the movie i didn't read the book yet

Well I was watching my two year old nephew yesterday. And he was watching it while standing in the hall way. Yeah, it was on yesterday. So right after a few minutes he comes over and climbs into my lap and watches it with me. And then he fell asleep. So cute.

I liked the book but the movie had a great plot. I kind of wanted more of the book's plot to appear in the movie and Sophie to look different but.. eh. :]

I love the movie and the book both plots are great. needs to get copy of the book all ready has 2 disc dvd set. bought as 2 disc by mistake at the time but it was at good price.

I like the book better when I look at them side by side.

Then movie is still great when you look at it by itself.

I liked the movie alot. I never knew about it until my cousin made me watch it with him. the story line was so cute. Never knew there was a book to it -goes to look for-

The book! :heart: I love DWJ's work, especially Howl's Moving Castle.
Miyazaki's film was just too different from the book for me to enjoy it :/

Can't really say which I liked better. They were both very enjoyable. There was lot more to the book than the movie. More character depth. The movie is more of a visual treat, as is to be expected of a Miyazaki film. They both have their merits.

I'm the same as you, I read the book after enjoying the movie...but I much preferred the book (s). :) I've read all three of them now. I just felt the characters in the book were more interesting, and the plot was much clearer to me. After watching the movie again, I have to say, I don't really get some parts. Also, it ticks me off that Howl has an American accent, they should've gotten a Welsh bloke! :XD

My kids and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Miyazaki's movies, though Howl's Moving Castle isn't my favorite. I did read the book before seeing the movie. I like Dianne Wynn Jones (did I get her name right?) well enough, but sometimes her imagery is just okay for me. Seeing Miyazaki's take on it is incrediable.

There's a book? : o
I didn't know that.
I've only seen the movie, and I quite enjoyed it myself. (;
I loved Calcifer <3

Howl's Moving Castle is one of the few book to movie renditions that hasn't ruined either for me.

i'm a big Miyazaki fan (i got a totoro tattoo to commemorate his retirement, and then the bastard comes out of retirement to make Howl's! ), and also love Diana Wynne-Jones.
my dad used to read HMC to me when i was little, so i was thrilled to hear that Miyazaki had taken over production of the film.
they're two completely different stories, but both are wonderful.

that's how people should make renditions of books.
^_^

I never read on the book but watch the movie. It was good and I like it. I probably should go read the novel...lol...