§Howl’s Moving Castle§ by Diana Wynne Jones

In Ingary, people believe that the eldest child is born to fail. Sophie Hatter, as the eldest sister of the three, has accepted this “fate” and believed that she will never succeed to seek her fortunes.
Sophie was tired of the boring life in her father’s hat shop; however, she has no courage to seek changes. But this unadventurous living was changed until the visit of the Witch of Waste. With an excuse of being unpleased with the bonnet, the wicked witch turned Sophie into an old woman.
Now Sophie has to seek for her own fortune. Has no way to go, she went to the moving castle and hoped the notorious Wizard Howl could help her. Meeting a blue demon Calcifer and bargaining with him, Sophie has to find out the wizard’s secret and breaks his contact with the demon in the exchange of breaking her spell.
Living with a heartless wizard with horrible tantrum, a cunning demon who never stop grumbling, and a sheep liked wizard apprentice with sweetheart, Sophie found her life no more boring but adventurous and eventful.


感想還是用中文寫得親切一點吧
Howl’s Moving Castle確實是一本好書, 能令人看得心情愉快. 比較電影, 我覺得原著故事更加有趣和吸引. 當中有不少令人發笑既劇情啦~~比如…
Calcifer被Sophie欺壓;
Howl跟Sophie不停鬥嘴 (原文中的Howl可是相當毒舌的);
可憐的Michael及Calcifer終日要應付那些被Howl拋棄的女子的家人上門尋仇;
面對揮霍無度的Howl, Michael還要悄悄把錢收起來. (有次家中糧食盡銷, Calcifer也沒柴可吃的情況下, Howl竟用糧食錢買了一具骷髏擺設及吉他回家, 原因是 “it looks good” -_-)
還有很多有趣的地方不能盡錄. Diana Wynne Jones的確很有幽默感.

比較電影中的Howl, 我更愛原著的他, 因為原文的Howl實在太太太有趣了!! 貪靚, 揮霍無度, 膽小, 狡猾, 毒舌又輕佻, 實在沒有像電影中那般的正直. 但他對別人卻十分溫柔, 某些情況下也很可靠啦. 故事中更被露了Howl的身世呢!! 老婆婆Sophie也十分有趣, 是非一般的老人. 而Calcifer也十分可愛, 總是不斷碎碎念, 但面對Howl及Sophie的欺負卻老是無力反抗.

這本書讓我看得很開心啦~~到尾段更有一種“不要這麼快完”的心情. 也是它讓我開始閱讀的習慣. 喜歡電影 “哈爾移動城堡”的人, 一定要看呀!! Howl’s Moving Castle確實值得一看再看,看完後又再看.