Books That Inspire Me: Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones might be my favorite book of all time—fantasy border-lining on steampunk, it’s a children’s book with a touch of romance that deals with the exceeding complexity of growing up.
Deceptively simple, Howl’s Moving Castle tackles such hard topics as defying self and societal expectations, coming into your own and discovering what you want to do with your life, learning how to accept and work with your strengths, and what it means to fall in love. The characterization is spot-on and endearing, with a dash of humor. Almost every single sentence in this book does double-duty by progressing characterization, plot, setting, theme, all the while keeping a strong tone with simple, clear, beautiful language.
The first sentence is, in my opinion, one of the best first sentences I’ve ever read:
“In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.”
In that one sentence, we have a setting: the land of Ingary; and we learn something about that setting, namely that there’s magic and that the societal structure is fairytale-esque. The seven-league boots, which will later become an important plot device, are hidden beside the cloak of invisibility, which will not come in at all. Then, after all that information, we get our protagonist’s problem laid out for us: She has the misfortune to be born the eldest of three.
This is how the first page reads:

In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knowns you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.

Sophie Hatter was the eldest of three sisters. She was not even the child of a poor woodcutter, which might have given her some chance of success. Her parents were well to do and kept a ladies’ hat shop in the prosperous town of Market Chipping.

As a writer, this book inspires me on a sentence level, on a world-building level, and in terms of the plot. I love how the characters’ emotions are illustrated. As a reader, I’m never happier than when I curl up with this book, to read it for the umpteenth time.
If you’re interested in a sweet, light book that’s truly a joy to read, I’d highly recommend picking up Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s a funny, sweet little romance in a whimsical fantasy world, and it makes a great read on a rainy day when you have the sniffles, want to wrap a blanket around your shoulders, hold a cup of hot chocolate in your hands, and settle down beneath a lamp with a really lovely book.