Go and Catch a Falling Star.
I have been meaning to write this entry for several months now.
I have been on a reading spree of actual books, besides the usual and much cherished fan fiction works, of course.
Thus, I write this rendition of a story that is very dear to me. I suppose a few lines taken from the book itself will serve to introduce it:
"You are in an enchanted castle with four doors, each opens on a different dimension. In dimension one, the castle is moving constantly..."
Yes, indeed, I'd like to openly say how much I like "Howl's Moving Castle" by the known writer Diana Wynne Jones.
I am aware that many people know or have heard about this story due to its movie version by the insanely famous japanese Ghibli Studios, specifically well-known movie director Hayao Miyazaki. Yes, the same great people of Sen to Chihiro/Spirited Away and many others.
But my objective now is to talk about the BOOK, which even if it lacks the pacifist theme of Miyazaki's adaptation, it's full of wonders and it takes the human side of its characters outside of the romantic notions that an ideal world would like.
No, no, co-protagonist Wizard Howl is nothing of a conventional character. No aspirations to be the hero, and still....
And main protagonist -the perspective persona of the book- Sophie Hatter is, also, not by far,the dream girl of a story.
Therefore, the story is amazing in itself. A bit rushed by the end, yes, for it is a pity that Mrs. Diana unfolded the end of this heartless story much too quickly, leaving details rampaging around, loose ends everywhere!!
Still, such a treasure, this book!!
I collect here some of the lines that forever remain in my books memory, and which serve me to navigate through the whole story:
"...it's quite the misfortune to be born the eldest of three..."
From here on, we have the introduction of Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three daughters, the one who set out to meet her fortune, even if she thought she was destined to fail. She has logic and sense and a magic gift on her side, even if later is cursed in a strange way.
I guess "misfortune" can be a very ambiguous term, for what Sophie found was precisely the Moving Castle, the monstrosity that wandered in a steam of smoke and noise, the proof of Horrible Wizard Howl's wickedness.
More astounding is what resides inside this moving castle with its dimensional associative doors.
"It's Calcifer, the fire demon..."
The introduction of this demon, and the subsequent image we form in our minds is quite different to the small-flame like of the movie version. This is not a pet flame, this is a wicked face of blue and green, this is a being of intelligence that is very much interested in making contracts and bargains, all for a good price.
"Howl is quite heartless, you know..."
Because Howl is beautiful and vain and rather dumb after a fashion. He is certainly a great magic user, but his character is that of a player, a man who enjoys courting girls without regretting hurting their feelings, at the same time that hates sad things and hates cleaning and hates anyone messing around with his dear spiders.
"Old fool, my unruly Sophie..."
And Sophie, in the shape and manners of an old cleaning lady, is rather annoying and goes around meddling in every one of Howl's affairs, criticizing him for his attitude and actions -or lack thereof. She is prone to negativity, and cold logic, and though she recognizes Howl is not that bad, she never quite understands how he can be heartless but kind and harmless at the same time.
"Demons do not understand good and evil, but they can be bribed into a contract, provided the human offers something valuable, that only humans have"
This part of the story really pulls at my emotions. The idea of the falling star, the idea of the boy sacrificing "that what only humans have" to save the start turned into demon, so Calcifer can continue "living as humans do".
It's here where I wish Mrs. Diana would have embellished more the narrative, but no matter! If she didn't go into detail in regards of this sacrifice exchange, it only emphasizes the secret quality of that moment, of the anonymous wizard with a blue flame on his hands.
"I love Wales, but it doesn't love me"
The introduction of the Real World into this fantasy world is a superb thing, a fantastic and so-catching twist, it allows my imagination to fly. But still the sad tone remains: Howl was born in this our normal world, but now he dwells in another, and still he goes and comes and the question is born: who can tell where, what place does he belong to now?
"The curse is fulfilled, I can lay hands on your heart now"
The existence of real villains in the book is one of the more human aspects of it. Unfortunately, there are not only whites and grays, there are also blacks in this verse. There is a Witch and another Demon who curse and deceive, to get to that cherished stolen heart. But they do not find redemption at the end of the tale. They simply find their end.
"Don't bother me now...I only did it for the money..."
As the book reaches its finale, I find myself so amused and so enthused over this wizard Pendragon, this wizard Jenkin, this no other than regular welsh guy Howell Jenkins who, for all his traits and magics and absurdities, at the end of the day he really was doing all the good things for the good reasons, even against his inner logic to slither out of any unpleasant situation.
To wrap this up, I love all the characters, from the Wizard to the apprentice, unruly Sophie and the turnip head, the demon Miss Angorian and the niece sweet Mari. Maybe I feel only a bit resentful towards the sister, Megan, but then again, it's because I am biased.
Howl's Moving Castle has two sequels, these being Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways.
Both of them share the complex and rushed narrative, filled with attention to small details and the same short-lived ends. However both books focus in other protagonists, even if the original cast of Howl and his family do play important supportive roles -one way or the other. Both two sequels are worth reading, in my opinion, because they rescue the continuation of the story that was left hanging and forever ongoing in the Moving Castle.
"I think we ought to live happily ever after"
This, Howl's declaration near the end of the first book, is a very clever and still misleading way to describe their possible future. Because everyone knows that life with Howl is never simple nor just happy. It's bound to be interesting to the extreme
And I take my leave with a bow, and my mind goes to the Marquis De Carabas, for he is another great character that I intend to tackle and explore in another entry, when Neil Gaiman and his "Neverwhere" make their way into my journal of ramblings.