If you love Studio Ghibli’s animated hit Howl’s Moving Castle but haven’t read the source material, a beautiful new Deluxe Limited Edition hardcover of Diana Wynne Jones’ original novel is available to preorder now at Amazon. Originally published in 1986, the story is much different than the 2004 film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and serves as the first book in a trilogy. You can preorder Howl’s Moving Castle Deluxe Limited Edition for $23.24 (was $25) ahead of its September 9 publication.
$23.24 (was $25) | Releases September 9
This upcoming hardcover edition of Howl’s Moving Castle features new jacket art, full-color endpapers by artist Devin Elle Kurtz, and black-and-white illustrations throughout the book. It has blue stained edges printed to resemble a starry sky. If you remove the dust jacket, you’ll find gold foil-stamped text and shooting star graphics on the front/back covers and spine.
As this is a limited-edition release, Howl’s Moving Castle fans may want to preorder their copy of the new 352-page hardcover soon. The $25 list price is lower than many standard hardcover fiction releases.
If you’ve never read the book, Howl’s Moving Castle follows Sophie Hatter after she accidentally attracts the attention of the Witch of the Waste. Transformed into an old woman, Sophie’s only chance at breaking her curse lies within the Wizard Howl’s castle, a mobile base ruled by an infamous heartbreaker. Sophie’s journey sees her meet up with the charming Howl, who is tormented by dark secrets from his past, strike a deal with a fire demon, and confront the wicked witch responsible for her condition.
As mentioned, the 2004 Studio Ghibli film deviated quite a bit from the book, as it featured a different aesthetic, certain characters stuck around for much longer, and even the dynamic between Sophie and Howl plays out in an unconventional way.
The book was the first in the Howl’s Castle Trilogy, and you can pick up paperback editions of all three for cheap at Amazon. The sequel, Castle in the Air, follows unsuccessful carpet salesman Abdullah as he daydreams about a more adventurous life. The final book in the trilogy, House of Many Ways, focuses on Charmain Baker as she explores a family home that can bend time and space.
Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle on Blu-ray
If you want to add the Studio Ghibli adaptation to your home movie collection, you can get the Howl’s Moving Castle Limited Edition Steelbook for $18.89 or standard edition for $15. Both editions come with Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film as well as a nice selection of special features, including storyboards, documentaries, interviews, and the original promotional materials. Howl’s Moving Castle has a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, and Billy Crystal, who voiced various characters.
You can pair this with The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle, a fantastic hardcover book that was originally released in 2005. Priced at $19.44 (was $30), you’ll find a collection of concept sketches, fully rendered character and background drawings, paintings and cell images, and commentary from the Studio Ghibli crew that worked on the movie.
More Studio Ghibli Movies Based on Books
For more Studio Ghibli films based on books, you can’t go wrong with Kiki’s Delivery Service–based on the 1985 novel of the same name by author Eiko Kadano–or Tales from Earthsea, The Secret World of Arietty, and When Marnie Was There.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Tales from Earthsea
The Secret World of Arietty
When Marnie Was There
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Another interesting entry here is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, as the feature film was based on the manga that was written and illustrated by none other than Studio Ghibli’s famed director, Hayao Miyazaki. The manga began publication in 1982 and concluded in 1994, and it has been collected into a deluxe edition of two hardcover volumes with interior color pages. It also comes with a bonus poster.
