Wait! "Howl's Moving Castle" began as a book? Like many people, I first discovered this story from Hayao Miyazaki's classic animated film.
Unknown to me, British novelist Diana Wynne Jones published her book 18 years before Miyazaki released his movie. His Studio Ghibli film closely follows the story.
Howl is a wizard living in a magical version of Great Britain. The castle in which he lives is enchanted: some doors lead directly to destinations hundreds of miles away, and the castle itself can pick up and move about the countryside.
The book follows Sophie, a young woman who works in her family's hat shop in the village of Market Chipping in the magical kingdom of Ingary. Sophie has no idea why the Witch of the Waste holds a grudge against her when the Witch casts a spell that transforms her into an old woman. Soon, the youth-turned-crone finds a job working and living in Howl's castle - a magical edifice that can move on its own across Ingary. Howl is a vain, cowardly, reclusive wizard who spends much of his time courting local maidens and trying to convince the world he is malevolent. But he is also charming and intelligent, and he has other agendas that remain hidden for much of the book.
Jones populates her story with magical artifacts and creatures. We meet an anthropomorphized scarecrow that hops on one leg; a demon transformed into a talking flame that resides in the castle's fireplace; boots that let the wearer travel seven leagues with each step; and a man transformed into a dog.
"Howl's Moving Castle" is a fantasy story, but it turns a few fantasy tropes upside down. For example, in Ingary, Sophie was expected to fail because she was born first. The opening sentence states: "it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes."
"Howl's" is a coming-of-age story, as Sophie gains confidence and discovers magic of her own. It is also a charming, whimsical tale, filled with magic and fun.