Howl, too, is a completely engaging part of this book.
The story uses the conventions of a fairy tale, but the writing has a decidedly modern flair, and Sophie is not just an archetype, but a fully developed human being who happens to inhabit a magical world. What drew me in, first of all, were the tone of the story and the voice of the protagonist. I knew absolutely nothing about this book except its title and author before picking it up, so I had no preconceived notions other than the understanding that I should read it because it so well-known and well-liked. In the meantime, Howl has been called upon to rescue a prince, a task which he does not appear to take seriously enough. Calcifer, who instantly guesses that Sophie has been cursed, makes a bargain with her: if she can help him get out of his contract with Howl, then Calcifer will see that Sophie's own curse is broken as well. There she meets the dreaded Howl, who has a reputation for harming young girls, Michael, a young man who lives in the castle, and Calcifer, the fire demon with whom Howl has entered into a contract. Realizing that her stepmother would be horrified by her changed appearance, Sophie wanders off and soon stumbles upon the moving castle belonging to Wizard Howl. One day, a difficult customer enters the shop, and when Sophie angers her, the customer reveals herself to be the Witch of the Waste and promptly places Sophie under a spell which causes her to appear as an old woman and prevents her from telling anyone she has been cursed. When her father dies, Sophie, the eldest child, remains with her stepmother at the family hat shop while her two sisters move away from home to make their own paths.
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