joss-arduin

[joss-arduin]

Uk peeps!! Let’s get this going! 🏳️‍⚧️🇬🇧

[joss-arduin]

I'm wondering if you know, has anyone ever done something like an explanation or just a compilation list of intertextual references in Howl's Moving Castle? (as in, references to other literary works within the book) because I know there are such references, like what Howl sometimes quotes etc but I have only ever heard of a couple here and there, and it would be cool to read about all of them in one place somewhere...

Hmm I don't remember seeing one, and I'm not cultured enough to catch them all, but you're right I'd love to see it

[joss-arduin]

sounds about right

[ID: A section of the novel Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones. The text reads:

“Even a djinn couldn’t get through,” said Wizard Suliman. “But what did Howl do?”

“He swore,” said Sophie. “In Welsh.” End ID.]

[joss-arduin]

“Tell me about this Wizard Howl of yours.”

“He’s the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he’d only had time, he would have defeated that djinn. And he’s sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can’t pin him down to anything.”

“Indeed? Strange that you should speak so proudly such a list of vices, most loving of ladies.”

“What do you mean, vices? I was just describing Howl.”

- Abdullah and Sophie, in the Howl’s Moving Castle series

Get you someone who loves you not in spite of your flaws, but because of them, folks.

[joss-arduin]

SOPHIE RAGE masterpost from only chapter 19 of Howl’s Moving Castle

[joss-arduin]

christopher: stealing apples is against the rules

cat: yea but i bet you stole stuff when you were my age

christopher, suddenly remembering his entire off-the-books criminal record: *coughs* yes well, anyway

[joss-arduin]

““Can’t you just keep your big mouth shut?“ Brian said furiously to Nan. He pointed to Chrestomanci. “How do we know he’s safe? For all we know, he could be the devil that you summoned up!” “Oh, you flatter me, Brian,” Chrestomanci said.”

— Diana Wynne Jones, Witch Week

[joss-arduin]

Actually, all Chris does is make his curls lie flat and he's just naturally gorgeous even without that, whereas Howl is "a plain man with mud coloured hair" who spends an hour every morning putting spells on his face, Howl would loathe and despise Christopher and Christopher would just get milder and vaguer and more infuriating

[joss-arduin]

howl: I dress up like this to be the center of attention

chrestomanci: I dress up like this because I am already the center of attention

[joss-arduin]

diana wynne jones: I will put a horrible old cat in every book and you will like it

[joss-arduin]

the corollary to that is that Christopher Chant realised that he had zero idea what men wore round the house to relax, due to aforementioned childhood neglect and a series of homes in which he was never really a part of the household, and decided that the optimal answer was extremely elaborate dressing gowns, and one has to respect that.

[joss-arduin]

But then he did it anyway.

Conrad, poor thing.

[joss-arduin]

christopher chant as an adult: stealing is wrong

christopher chant as a child: *is the linchpin in his uncle’s smuggling business*

[joss-arduin]

i love christopher chant’s character arc from a small, weird kid to a weird but also asshole-ish teenager to the worlds’ most pretentious adult

[joss-arduin]

Howls moving castle movie: the black door leads to a war-torn countryside, with steampunk flying battleships dropping bombs and evil monsters that attack Howl

HMC book: the black door leads to a suburban neighborhood in Wales and the worst thing there is Howl's sister

[joss-arduin]

Christopher: I'm going to look ridiculous in this uniform

Conrad, seeing he looks amazing in it: I'm GoiNg tO lOok rIdiCulOuS iN tHiS uNifoRm

[joss-arduin]

Honestly the best part of Howl’s Moving Castle the book is when Howl sends Sophie to the king like “Sorry my mom said I couldn’t go to war” and if you think that is an exaggeration it is not he is a lazy brat