Highlights On: a YA Fantasy Novel by Diana Wynne Jones

1. Howl’s Moving Castle Moving Highlights On: a YA Fantasy Novel by Diana Wynne Jones

2. The Book • First published in 1986 • Partly inspired by a little boy who asked the author for a book called The Moving Castle • Won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award • Is an ALA (American Library Association) Notable Book • Made ALA Best of the Best in YA

3. The Story:

4. Sophie The protagonist of the story, Sophie learns to take charge of her own destiny. Originally resigned to her boring fate as the plain, oldest sister, she becomes more outspoken and develops her magical powers while under a curse that leaves her a 90-year-old version of herself.

5. Howl Howl starts out with the reputation of a literal lady-killer. It’s true he’s a flashy Romeo, but he doesn’t devour the hearts of young he seduces as rumored, and is a genuinely talented wizard. Howl tries to flirt with Sophie to no success, until he finally falls in love for real.

6. * Y Howl dewin yn Gymraeg In the middle of the story the protagonists travel to Howl’s original home – Wales, Great Britain! Wizard Howl, aka Howell Jenkins, grew up in our world. We go from the enchanted kingdom of Ingary to a modern Welsh suburb where Howl’s teenage nephew only wants to play his video game. YOU ARE IN AN ENCHANTED CASTLE WITH FOUR DOORS. Space space EACH OPENS ON A DIFFERENT DIMENSION. Space space IN DIMENSION ONE THE CASTLE IS MOVING CONSTANTLY AND MAY ARRIVE AT A HAZARD AT ANY TIME... space space (…YOU PROBABLY WON’T BE EATEN BY A GRUE.) * “The Wizard Howl is Welsh,” according to Google translate.

7. Literary In-Jokes Obviously, the John Donne poem “Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star” is a major influence on the book, partly serving as inspiration for the plot, and completely serving as the basis for the Witch’s fatal curse on Howl. A poem lambasting the dearth of good women in the world, used to curse a philandering male ex – the irony isn’t lost on Howl. ‘ “Busy old fool, unruly Sophie,” said Howl’ (Jones, pg 198). It’s a play on the first line of “The Sun Rising,” another poem by John Donne: “Busy old fool, unruly Sun[.]” Howl compares Sophie to that sun, which was in turn anthropomorphized into to an old and nosy being. This of course makes Howl the narrator, a smug and alchemical lover, arguing with the sun itself. Both characterizations are spot on. Jones, Diana Wynne. Howl's Moving Castle. New York, NY: Eos, 2008. Print.

8. The Animated Adaptation • Released in 2004 • Hayao Miyazaki, of Studio Ghibli, wrote the screenplay and directed the film • Won the 78th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature • English cast included: Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal, Josh Hutcherson, and Blythe Danner

9. Vimeo – Video Trailer In December 2011 the Southwark Playhouse in London performed a theatrical adaptation of “Howl’s Moving Castle,” narrated by Stephen Fry. Going just by the trailer, it looks like the show was amazing – wish I could have seen it.

10. Before she passed away, Diana Wynne Jones wrote two more stories in the Wizard’s Castle universe: “Castle in the Air,” published in 1990 (not to be confused with Studio Ghibli’s “Castle in the Sky”), and finally “House of Many Ways,” published in 2008, over twenty years after the original novel. I recommend them all wholeheartedly.

11. Sources http://dianawynnejones.wikia.com/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones_Wiki http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/HowlsMovingCastle http://evansheline.com/2010/12/beautiful-howls-moving-castle-art/ http://v10japan.com/2010/06/04/howls-moving-castle-review-2/ http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/laura-carmichael-says-bbc-are-%E2%80%9Cmad%E2%80%9D-for-airing-spooks-in-downton-abbey-timeslot/laura-carmichael/ http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/downton-abbey-castle-stylish-dramas-capturing-our-hearts http://photos.telestrekoza.com/British_shows/Casanova/Cast/Casanova_-_001 http://dianawynnejones.wikia.com/wiki/Castle_in_the_Air http://dianawynnejones.wikia.com/wiki/House_of_Many_Ways