Howl’s Moving Castle: Book Vs. Movie

I love the movie Howl’s Moving Castle. I’ve seen it many times and I really enjoy it. I’ve known it was based off of the book by Diana Wynne Jones, but I was always nervous to read it. I finally did, so now’s the question: Was the book better?

What it’s about: Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye. (Goodreads synopsis for book)

While the movie does follow pretty closely to the book, there are quite a few major differences. I won’t spoil the big ones but in the book Sophie has two sisters…and only one in the movie. There’s not a ton of war like in the movie and some of the people are quite different. Sophie is so much sassier in the book but I love movie Howl a lot more. Both are very magical and heartwarming though.

I would recommend watching the movie and also reading the book. You will see the differences a lot more if you do both back to back like I did. I still appreciated both and equally enjoyed both. Diana’s writing is a little difficult to get into at first, but I really liked how she told a story. If you have watched the movie and read the book, what were your thoughts?

Thank you so much for reading. Until next time.