Rating: 
Summary: Not a master
Review: I like to know what my 10 year old son is reading these days. His choices are the Harry Potter books, Captain Underpants, etc. This book looks on the surface to be a good choice for him, but once I got into the story it is more like a twisted romance novel for pre-teens. The sentences are short and choppy with oddly placed words. Story-wise, it is not bad, but CS Lewis or JK Rowling it is not.
Rating: 
Summary: It gets better with every read!
Review: I just re-read this book for about the twentieth time. And I have to say its one of those stories that is so enjoyable and so imaginative that it belongs in any serious fantasy collection. Sophie and Howl are some of the most lovable--and most human fantasy characters I've run into in a long time. When I read this at twelve, I must admit the romance arc of the story completely missed me, now it's one of my favorite parts of the book. For those not familiar with Diana Wynne Jones or with most British based literature, the style is a little denser than Harry Potter and may take more work to get into, but its worth the effort, believe me.
Rating:
Summary: Charmed for life
Review: This was the first book by Diana Wynne Jones that I read. I think I was around 11- 12 yrs old and I just fell in love with it, have been ever since. The following years I read every book published in swedish by this amazing storyteller and I loved every single one of them. I have to say though that Howl's Moving Castle still remains my all time favourite! It's such an amazing book. Sophia and Howl's characters are so charming, funny and just crazy that you can't help loving them. DWJ must have a very vivid imagination, 'cause the plot/story is hilarious! .... and it has such a cute love story. This is simply a must-read-book. Or read anything else she's written 'cause she'll keep you smiling for hours. Just a few weeks ago I was browsing through the shelves in a book store and to my surprise I found a few books in english by DWJ, some of them I hadn't read, so I just had to buy one. It came down to 'Black Maria' which after reading it reminded my why I love her books so much! I haven't read Harry Potter yet, I will soon though. ... hmm.. but I just can't imagine them being as good as Diana Wynne Jones' books (Or Lloyd Alexander, another favourite). I'll just have to see.
Rating:
Summary: Howl's Moving Castle
Review: Howl's moving castle is probably one of my favorite books. Ive always liked Dianna wynne jones ever since one of my friends lent me one of the chrestomanchi books(charmed life). Howl's moving castle is no exception to dianna's excellent writing.Howl's moving castle is has a great story line. In short its about a girl called Sophie Hatter who is destined to work in her mothers hat shop.But when the dreaded witch of the waste turns up at the shop she puts a curse on sophie but sophie cant tell anyone.She goes to see the wizard howl for help.At howl's house, she meats calcifer, howls fire demon but he has a contract with Howl and askes sophie to break it and he'll take off her curse.This story is even better than harry potter.
Rating:
Summary: Charming!
Review: Okay, I admit it: I'm a college student. I'm almost 20 years old (my god, that's OLD!) and this is still one of my all-time favorite books. I remember picking up Howl's Moving Castle at the library, many years ago, and Diana Wynne Jones shortly became one of my favorite authors. Her writing is humorous and intelligent, her characters are fascinating and real, and she has an imagination about which words fail me. People may talk about JK Rowling (who is also an amazing writer, not to be missed), but before you rhapsodize about Harry Potter, read about Howl. This book is bewitching; Diana Wynne Jones has charmed me for all time.
Rating:
Summary: Still my Favorite
Review: I first read this book when I was 13 and I still have a battered paperback copy next to my bed! Sophie and Howl are my all-time favorite characters! Mystery, comedy, mistaken identities, magic, and romance all in one. If you like JK Rowling, read DW Jones and find perfection!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite Magical
Review: _Howl's Moving Castle_ is a whimsical and funny fantasy about the adventures of Sophie, a girl who is transformed into an old woman by the wicked Witch of the Waste. She goes to the magical moving castle of Howl, a wizard rumored to eat the hearts of young girls, to be a cleaning woman. There is much misunderstanding, tantrum-throwing, seven league traveling, and wizardry; Howl and Sophie are endearing protagonists, and Calcifer the fire demon is my favorite sulky supporting character.
Rating:
Summary: TRULY MAGICAL.
Review: This is not to be missed. As an adult who loves fantasy of all sorts, Diana Wynne Jones and all she has written are top of my list. (Higher than Harry Potter) I could give you story details, but that would not begin to convey the delight that is in store for you if you read Ms Jones. No matter what your age you'll be enchanted and amazed by her writing. Be good to yourself, give yourself a treat and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book for all ages... including adults!
Review: Not being much of a fantasy fan, I definitely recommend this book. It is well written, incorporating humour, adventure, mystery, and a good dose of a very talented writer with the knack of making her charaters come to life. I discovered this book in the library in 4th grade and immediately I fell in love with the characters. Years later, not remembering the title or the author, I went on a hunt. And found it! I was pleasently surprised to discover that it held the same majic that it did when I was a child. To any one reading this: this is a special book that I will always treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A Sorry State of Affairs; No DWJ Paperbacks!
Review: Diana Wynne Jones may well be the best-kept secret in children's and YA fantasy in this country, and that is a crying shame, especially in the light of the success of the Harry Potter boks, which are very similar to DWJ's books, but not (to my taste) as good. Here she starts out with what almost seems a standard fairy-tale situation -- three beautiful (more or less) sisters left in the care of their (not particularly wicked) stepmother. They live in a village in a land where everyone knows what happens to each of three sisters who set out to seek their fortunes in the world, and Sopihe, the eldest of the three, has no desire to experience it. So, as one sister is apprenticed to a tavern owner, and one to a witch, Sophie stays behind in the family hat store and makes hats. Her hats soon become something of a rage, and all is doing well until the local Wicked Witch drops by, says a few things that don't make any sense (at that point) and casts a spell on Sophie. One which makes her old and prevents her from taling anyone who she is or what's happened to her. And so Sophie DOES set out to find her fortune (more or less), and winds up knocking on the door of the Moving Castle of the title -- which belongs to Howl the wizard. "Heartless" Howl, who is said to charm young ladies and then eat their hearts. Who, of course, turns out to be both everything and nothing that Sophie had expected. And she meets Howl's apprentice and his captive fire demon, with whom she makes a bargain... Ths is a book to read and read again and read some more, just to savour the tasty bits. You almost have to read it the second time -- which is not at all difficult to do -- because you have to go back and see how the bits you thought meant one thing actually meant something completely different. Magic and love and adventure and betrayal and rescues and slapstick comedy and truth and lies and Just Plain Fun... All between two covers, for the price of one book. Too bad ALL of DWJ's books aren't available in mass-market editions in this country...
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