I watched the movie first. In fact, it was entirely accidentally that my cousin and I, in the midst of this loud, busy family reunion, came across the movie version and were completely sucked into the tale of Sophie, Howl and Calcifier. So when the movie was done and I sat back with a sigh and some sadness that another good thing had come to an end, I thought of reading the book to prolong the loveliness. Because everyone knows that books are always better, right?In this case, the book was just as good as the movie in a couple of very different ways. The movie takes some liberties with the narratives, clipping away some characters and giving more importance to others than the book graces them with; all the changes made, however, work to present, or should I say, transfer the story from one medium to another with a seamlessness that, were you not to read the book after all, you would not find anything lacking in the movie narrative. The movie and the book both preserve the most important parts of the novel: the characterizations. Though the movie changes the kid a fair bit, the personality remains intact. Anyway, Howl's Moving Castle is so amazing, you guys. I don't know why you haven't read/watched it if you haven't yet. Obviously I lived under a rock for most of my life (also known as Fiji) so I hadn't even heard of it but what's your excuse? The story, the pacing, the lovely narrative voice, these are all so wonderfully done - they celebrate the loveliness of the story, the beauty of the imagination, creativity without being buried under its own importance. I think this is one of those works that parents should hand their children when they reach a certain age and let them enrich their own imaginations with the stories of the castle, the fire demon and Sophie.
 - Diana Wynne Jones)