Book Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Originally Published in: 1986

Read in: March and April 2009

Howl's Moving Castle was my first read for the Once Upon a Time III Challenge.  I have been wanting to read this book ever since I first saw the movie version by Miyazaki, which I regard as one of my favorite movies of all time.  Of course, the book was written years before the movie and I wanted to see how the two differ. I found that they differ quite a bit!

Sophie, the main character, lives in the kingdom of Ingary, where magic is commonplace.  Her two sisters are sent away when their father dies and Sophie is left to work in a hat shop along with her stepmother.  After a brief encounter with the wizard Howl (although Sophie doesn't know it is Howl at the time), Sophie meets the Witch of the Waste who places her under a spell that makes her 90 years old (note that she also can not tell anybody about the spell.)  From here, she decides to make a life of her own and ends locating Howl's castle, which is a huge oddly shaped building that moves all over the place and has a magic door that opens to different locations in Ingary. Sophie moves in under the guise of "new cleaning lady."

Sophie meets Calcifer, a fire demon who moves the castle and has a spell cast on him, as well as Howl's apprentice, Michael (Markl in the movie) who falls in love with one of Sophie's sisters. The main demon of the story, both for Howl and Sophie is the Witch of the Waste.  When Sophie falls prey to her, it's up to Howl to save the day.  Basically it's a coming of age story for multiple characters, with a magical twist.

I thought the book was great.  I love Ingary and found most of the characters believable, even in a world of magic.  I'm glad I watched the movie first because the two differ so much (Miyazaki must have used a lot of creative license) and I rather like an alternate way of going about things.  I might get around to reading the sequels eventually.  Diana Wynne Jones seems to be a great writer.

Giving In...

I can't resist another challenge.  Carl hosts the best challenges, but I was reluctant to join since I wasn't able to complete the R.I.P challenge last fall (marriage got in the way.)  Now that I'm a bit more settled in Colorado, I think I can complete it.  I participated in the Once Upon a Time II challenge last year and I'm looking forward to Once Upon a Time III this year!  Plus, Carl has given us "the journey" option, which only commits us to one book to complete the challenge. By all means, I will do my best to complete more, but I can guarantee commitment to one book for sure.  So below is my list of potential reads.  I can't wait and thanks again Carl!

1.  Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

2.  The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke (I completed Jonathan Strange for last year's challenge)

3.  Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare

4.  Something by Tamora Pierce

5.  Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (I've read the first two, so I should read the third)

6.  Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

7.  The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Off to read...

Book Review: The Mists of Avalon

Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Date Originally Published: 1983
Start Date: May 16th
Completion Date: June 12th

My last book for the Once Upon a Time Challenge is also one of my all time favorites! The Mists of Avalon is basically a retelling of Arthurian Legend from Morgan le Fay's (Morgaine) point of view.

My first taste of King Arthur was T. H. White's The Once and Future King back in the tenth grade. I wasn't very bookish in high school, and I had to read the book as an assignment, so I wasn't exactly interested in the plot. I imagine that I would thoroughly enjoy the book today, but my 15 year old mind found White's version left much to be desired.

Fast forward three years or so as I'm browsing my local book store. I came upon The Mists of Avalon and recall class discussions and positive reviews, so I decided to give it a try. I fell in love from the first page. MZB manages an emotional retelling of the legend that is also unique for its sympathy to Morgaine, who is normally portrayed as a sorceress. The book also features other women such as Igraine, Morgause, and Gwynhwyfar, some who had previously been auxiliary to the legend. She also portrays several religious truths, without being biased towards one particular form of worship. She finds common ground between the Pagan and Christian religions. She also expands on this theme in other books in the Avalon series (these books aren't as good overall though.) I

Anyways, I fell so in love with this novel, that when the time came to planning my England trip three years ago, I knew I had to visit at least one of the landmarks mentioned in the book. So, I dragged my aunt and cousin to Glastonbury to see the Tor, what was left of the abbey, and the Chalice Well gardens for one day during my week based in Reading, which is luckily a train hub.

We ended up climbing the Tor, which was much more difficult than I thought it would be because it was fairly cold and very windy. While my cousin discovered her fear of heights, my aunt and I enjoyed the view of the country and the town filled with New Age shops and vegetarian restaurants. Also, apparently Marion Zimmer Bradley's ashes were also scattered there.

The abbey ruins were beautiful. Pictured above in the background is the oldest intact dining hall in the world (or the country, I can't remember.) King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's supposed graves are also here, but my camera decided to die before I could actually take a picture of the site.


The Chalice Well Gardens attract a lot of Pagans and Christians alike who come to drink the red water (it's supposed to have healing properties) and see the Chalice Well. It was a beautiful and interesting place.

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip to Glastonbury. My aunt was happy to visit a place that she previously would not have considered, and I was excited to see many of the places I had imagined while reading The Mists of Avalon.

This was a great way for me to end the Once Upon a Time Challenge. I will definitely be back for the R.I.P Challenge in the fall again this year, because Carl's challenges are always so much fun!

Book Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke
Date Originally Published: 2004
Start Date: April 21st
Completion Date: May 13th

"Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me..."

Winner of the 2005 Hugo award, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has also managed to win my good opinion. From the first page to the last, I imagined Jane Austen with a fantastical touch. Set in the Regency era, the novel details the return of magic to a drab England and the relationship between two very different magician personalities, Mr. Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange.

The novel is divided into 3 volumes, and I chose to read another book in between each volume to split it up. Chunky books can be very daunting, and reading something in between each book was likely the only way I was able to finish the novel.

In the early 1800s, only one practical magician exists in England among many theoretical magicians. Once Mr. Norrell's proclamations that he can perform magic are proven correct, he becomes a celebrity of sorts and his normally quiet Yorkshire life is disturbed when he has to move to London to prove himself to society. Desperate to help the English in the Napoleonic Wars, Mr. Norrell brings back to life the wife of a government minister to gain favor. This act requires the help of a fairy who forces Mr. Norrell to make a shady bargain with him. This fairy continues to haunt the lady's life as well as many others in the story, including the noble Stephen Black, the government minister's servant. Jonathan Strange comes into the picture when a banished (by Norrell) London street-magician, Vinculus, declares Strange a magician. He learns magic, and after an introduction with Mr. Norrell, becomes his pupil. As Strange becomes more educated (although Norrell refuses to teach him too much) and works in the field, he begins to develop his own ideas on magic.

The above is about all I can say about the plot, even though I'm leaving out many important general occurences. First, I could go on forever, because everything is so well connected in the story. I would read passages and wonder where she was going, but everything was eventually answered as I continued to read. Second, I don't want to give anything away. I love the footnotes, with references to made up books and fairy tales. I also love the incorporation of historical characters like Lord Byron, etc. I really love the contrast between Strange and Norrell. I guess I would say that I am a "Strangeite." I found Strange a bit more exciting because he traveled, fought in wars, and forced himself to become mad (for good reason of course.) Norrell stayed confined with his books and kept a close circle. He was arrogant and stuffy. Combined though, the two proved to be a powerful pair.

My favorite part of the book was the general atmosphere that Clarke created. Crazy things occurred throughout the book, and toward the end, particularly frightening things, but I never felt too overwhelmed, as I do with many modern novels that get particularly gory and detailed. Again, I felt as if the likes of Jane Austen wrote the novel, instead of somebody living in the modern world. It was refreshing to me, because I definitely don't need a lot of gore in fantasy to be entertained.

Overall, if one can get past the length of the book, I would highly recommend it. Don't be afraid!

Book Review: The Helmet of Horror

Author: Victor Pelevin
Date Originally Published: 2006
Start Date: April 7th
Completion Date: April 8th

The Helmet of Horror is part of Canongate's series "The Myths." Each book published is authored by a famous current author, who creates a new spin on a classic myth. Victor Pelevin, a celebrated Russian author, rewrote the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I've always liked reading about labyrinths in literature (my first experience being James Joyce in high school) so that's why I picked this one over others in the series.

The story Pelevin weaves is very interesting. A group of people wake suddenly in separate rooms, not knowing how they got there. They don't know whether they are dead or alive, simply dreaming, or experiencing reality. Each room has a door that is initially locked and a computer. The group connects via a chat session where each individual has a user name created for him and his messages are automatically corrected for spelling and are edited with an "XXX" when too much personal information is given. The screen name "Ariadne" (another connection to the original myth) begins the thread with the quote “I shall construct a labyrinth in which I can lose myself together with anyone who tries to find me - who said this and about what?"

When the characters discover that they can open their doors after demanding that they be unlocked, each discovers a different room or surreal landscape, much like a labyrinth. One couple falls in love and tries to meet each other, one man has a room filled with editing equipment and tapes with candidates for the part of Theseus, and Ariadne meets the Minotaur in her dreams (behind her door is a room with a great bed for sleeping,) who wears the helmet of horror, which resembles a virtual reality helmet. Will Theseus come to save these people from the Minotaur?

I really liked the concept of this book and the way Pelevin constructed things. It was a quick read and I loved the labyrinth connection, but I definitely didn't really understand all of the post-modern/philosophical stuff. The whole ending was sort of lost on me to be honest. I guess I don't possess those higher level thinking skills, or maybe I just prefer for things to be more concrete and less philosophical. I don't know. I recommend the book if you are reading the series, but not necessarily as a stand alone, unless you like Pelevin or Thomas Pynchon-esque works. I might read another one of these eventually... maybe Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad?

Book Review: American Gods

Author: Neil Gaiman
Date Originally Published: 2001
Start Date: March 28th
Completion Date: April 4th

I'm aware that, like The Book of Lost Things, I am one of the last people in the book blogging world to read this book. I finished this morning and knew I had to write something about it right away. It's one of those books that I have to immediately discuss, probably because it's one of the most unique novels I have ever read.

I'm not too sure if I can give a good synopsis of the story because there is a lot going on and a lot of references to Gods and Goddesses that I have not previously studied. I've been told that he puts a twist on some of these deities, so maybe that's a good thing. American Gods tells the story of a convict named Shadow, who is serving a jail sentence at the beginning of the story for a robbery. He is released a day before his sentence is up because his wife, Laura, was killed in a car accident. On the plane ride home, he sits next to a man who knows his name and offers him a job, as he no longer has one in his home town. Shadow wants nothing to do with the man, yet he is persistently pursued and offered the job. After Shadow seals the deal by drinking three glasses of mead, he finds himself working for the man, named Wednesday, and basically chauffeurs him around the country and completes odd jobs and meets even more odd people, alive, dead, and ethereal. Shadow's role in Wednesday's plan is much more important than Shadow initially realizes.

I honestly can't say much more about the book without giving the entire plot away, nor can I adequately describe it. I didn't know what to think at first, because I found the mood dark and gloomy, at times creepy, and I just wasn't in the right state of mind for that. But as I kept reading, I became enthralled. I have always liked mythology, but the addition of the Americana was definitely cool for me. I kind of like our cheesy road side attractions, many of which Shadow and Wednesday visit. They make me think of days long before I was born, and remind me of road trips both from when I was young and even from now (drive anywhere near South Dakota and you'll start to see the signs for Wall Drug.) I have always preferred car travel and the cheesy attractions and the millions of road signs leading to them give me a weird sense of patriotism, even if I never visit these places. In the novel, the struggles for the heart of America take place at these locales.

At the end of most chapters, was a small section detailing different "coming to America" stories at different times in history or pre-history. These stories basically illustrate how the Gods came to America with their followers and how most of them vanished after a period of time. Some chapters describe the lives of Gods living today and the clash between the Gods of old who were brought with immigration, and the Gods of new, which basically represent our media-driven culture. It took me a while to see where all of these mini stories fit in with the rest of the book, but they all did in the end.

By the middle of the book, I was hooked. The story has so many twists and so many characters that are good at one moment and bad at the next. The final third of the story is definitely the best part, as Shadow's real role in his job and the fate of America takes place. This story is difficult to describe because there are so many twists and turns. Good characters turn bad and vice versa. The reader is left in the dark until the ending, much like a good mystery. I'm really impressed with Gaiman's writing. I knew he was a good author with a lot of imagination when I read Coraline, but I felt much more a connection with American Gods because he was writing about places that I have seen and the story in general interested me more. Overall, I thought it was a beautiful book and will definitely be picking up more of his stuff in the future.

Book Review: The Book of Lost Things

Author: John Connolly
Date Originally Published: 2006
Start Date: March 22nd
Finish Date: March 25th

I've heard wonderful things about this book and I was not in the least disappointed. The Book of Lost Things is essentially a coming of age novel about a boy who is dealing with many personal hardships during the onset of war in England. As he retreats to books for comfort, the books begin to talk back, luring him into a world very much like that of fairy tales.

Trouble begins for the main character David when his beloved mother becomes sick. He gains Obsessive-Compulsive tendencies as a result, in his own effort to save her. His daily routines sadly aren't enough to revive his mother. David finds himself dealing with the grief by reading, while his father meets another woman. David becomes resentful of his stepmother, Rose, and his new half-brother, Georgie, to the point where he lapses into fits. He also begins to hear books talk, yet keeps this secret to himself as he sees a psychologist and doesn't want to be institutionalized.

With the onset of war, the new family transports to a house in the country that belongs to the family of Rose. David's bedroom is lined with bookshelves filled with old books belonging to a boy named Jonathan Tulvey, who mysteriously disappeared from the house along with an adopted sister years ago. His room has ivy growing through the cracks and has a great view of a sunken garden in which Jonathan is fearful.

One day while out in the yard, David spots a man lurking in his bedroom. The man disappears once he realizes he's spotted, but not before David notes his odd crooked appearance and his attentiveness to Georgie's cry. Nobody is able to find this man in the house despite David's claim that he was lurking in David's room. One night after a row with Rose, Jonathan enters the formerly frightening sunken garden because he hears his mother's voice beckoning him. When a war plane crashes in the garden at the same time, David finds himself in another world where there is never full sunlight, few can be trusted (werewolves galore,) where there is no way out, and lurking in the shadows is the same crooked man David spotted in his bedroom. Could Jonathan Tulvey have disappeared to this world?

The world Connolly creates is very reminiscent of Grimm's Fairy Tales. There are heroes, villains, and tons of gore (well, a ton for me because I'm not a big fan.) David meets a few trustworthy characters along the way who feel that finding the king, with his book of lost things is his best hope for getting back home. He encounters a handy and brave woodsman, a grotesque Snow White and 7 communist dwarves, a creepy huntress, a brave soldier in search of avenging his love (another soldier) in a floating castle, a werewolf named Leroi (his name is "the king" in French, how appropriate) who dreams of ruling the kingdom, and many more. He learns to appreciate not only the good people he meets, but also the people he misses in England. He also learns to accept the death of his mother. David grows as a person from each encounter both physically, mentally, and emotionally. But is this enough to get him back home, when a sinister plan has been laid for him?

I really enjoyed this book. I love the cover art, as I am definitely guilt of judging books by their covers. It was also a quick read. The book is fairly thick, but about a fourth of it contains different appendices. Many of his characters native to the kingdom tell fairy tales to David. Each one is familiar, yet twisted so that the endings are different, or the gender of the main characters are opposite of our familiar stories. The book was fast paced, scary, but not too scary, and imaginative. What a great start to the Once Upon a Time II Challenge!