Howl's Moving Castle

Book title: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Status: Finished

Synopsis:
Sophie Hatter reads a great deal and soon realizes that as the eldest of three daughters she is doomed to an uninteresting future. She resigns herself to making a living as a hatter and helping her younger sisters prepare to make their fortunes. But adventure seeks her out in the shop where she sits alone, dreaming over her hats. The wicked Witch of the Waste, angered by "competition" in the area, turns her into a old woman, so she seeks refuge inside the strange moving castle of the wizard Howl. Howl, advertised by his apprentice as an eater of souls, lives a mad, frantic life trying to escape the curse the witch has placed on him, find the perfect girl of his dreams and end the contract he and his fire demon have entered. Sophie, against her best instincts and at first unaware of her own powers, falls in love with none other than the notorious wizard.

Review:
其實看過電影後便想讀讀原著，只是一直忙，加上尚有大量未讀完的小說，所以一直沒刻意尋書。

這天在網上書店閒晃，竟讓貓遇見"Howl's Moving Castle"，即時急不及待下載並開始閱讀。

失望地，"Howl's Moving Castle"可說是在貓讀過之中，電影／電視改編比小說原著更精彩吸引的唯一一部作品 (￣□￣+)

Diana Wynne Jones 的構思無疑是天馬行空的，可是若然沒有宮崎駿的鬼斧神工視像化，單憑她的文字便失色多了。Diana 筆下的 Howl 自私膽小，一天到晚只顧追求美女，除了一張漂亮的臉蛋，簡直毫無優點可言；宮崎駿畫筆下的ハウル人性化得來卻也有可愛善良的一面 -- 漂亮，是因為ハウル是個完美主義者，可是電影裡的ハウル除了漂亮，還有軟弱、瀟灑和英氣的時候，比小說裡的他吸引多了。

小說裡的 Howl 和 Sophie 實在看不出有甚麼感情上的交集，是以後來 Howl 指他寄望 Sophie 對 Miss Angorian 的妒忌可以將 Miss Angorian (The fire demon of the Witch of the Waste)拒諸門外時，貓著實有點摸不著頭腦，更別說後來告白時的突兀了；電影裡的ハウル對無理的ソフィー既溫柔亦包容，兩人之間的牽絆比小說原著裡的強多了；ソフィー被詛咒的老婆婆外表會隨心境變得年輕亦是不得不激賞的電影點子之一，未知這可是宮崎大師的意思？