Howl's Moving Castle

“A true original.” —Katherine Rundell, bestselling author of Impossible Creatures

This entrancing classic fantasy novel is filled with surprises at every turn. An international bestseller, this much-loved book is the source for the Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature.

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. What will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused.

All fans of classic fantasy books deserve the pleasure of reading those by Diana Wynne Jones, whose acclaim included the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

The three books in the World of Howl are:

  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • Castle in the Air
  • House of Many Ways

Other beloved series from Dianna Wynne Jones include the Chronicles of Chrestomanci and the Dalemark Quartet.

BUY THE BOOK

Published Apr 22, 2008

448 pages

Average rating: 8.14

392 RATINGS

|

Join a book club that is reading Howl's Moving Castle!

Fibre and Fiction

An online, read what you want bookclub, especially for crafters of all types to craft and chat.

Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Howl's Moving Castle* charms with its whimsical, bright world and quirky, memorable characters. Fans appreciate the book’s deeper charact...

BMC
Nov 01, 2025
8/10 stars
More diifferent than the movie than I expected but still a solid good time.
Mariam.Haziq
Nov 27, 2025
10/10 stars
THIS GOT ME TO ROMANCE
sophiiarenee
Nov 08, 2025
6/10 stars
A super cute, easy read. It was a little slow and simple compared to what I usually like, but at the end of the day it's a kid's book and I enjoyed reading it. ☺️
Lidz
Jun 19, 2025
9/10 stars
From the moment I first opened Howl’s Moving Castle I was immediately drawn into the fantastical world that exists within its pages and made it oh so difficult to put it down. Every chapter is fun and whimsical and the characters are all witty and charming to a fault. I have just about zero complaints with it as a novel and always have a good time immersing myself within the wonderful world of Ingary. I think everyone should take a ride through this enchanting world in the moving castle at least once, and I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did.
Brett
Feb 18, 2025
7/10 stars
I enjoy the story. But. I didn’t like the brevity. I wish the story would have taken more time to develop and expand. Otherwise, it was a fun adventure with an imaginative magic system.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.