Quotes from Howl's Moving Castle

Diana Wynne Jones ·  329 pages

Rating: (153.1K votes)


“I think we ought to live happily ever after.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Yes, you are nosy. You're a dreadfully nosy, horribly bossy, appallingly clean old woman. Control yourself. You're victimizing us all.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“If I give you a hint and tell you it's a hint, it will be information.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I think we ought to live happily ever after," and she thought he meant it. Sophie knew that living happily ever after with Howl would be a good deal more hair-raising than any storybook made it sound, though she was determined to try. "It should be hair-raising," added Howl.
"And you'll exploit me," Sophie said.
"And then you'll cut up all my suits to teach me.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle



“I'm going up to my room now, where I may die.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.
"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Go to bed, you fool," Calcifer said sleepily. "You're drunk."
"Who, me?" said Howl. "I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober." He got up and stalked upstairs, feeling for the wall as if he thought it might escape him unless he kept in touch with it. His bedroom door did escape him.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Typical! I break my neck trying to get here, and I find you peacefully tidying up!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“You've no right to walk into people's castles and take their guitars.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle



“It is quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“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 the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I'm delirious. Spots are crawling before my eyes."
"Those are spiders.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I feel ill," [Howl] announced. "I'm going to bed, where I may die.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle



“My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I've got a hangover."
"No, you hit your head on the floor."
"I can't stay. I've got to rescue that fool Sophie.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“I make that four horses and ten men just to get rid of one old woman. What did you do to the King?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“More about Howl? Sophie thought desperately. I have to blacken his name! Her mind was such a blank that for a second it actually seemed to her that Howl had no faults at all. How stupid! 'Well, he's fickle, careless, selfish, and hysterical,' she said. 'Half the time I think he doesn't care what happens to anyone as long as he's alright--but then I find out how awfully kind he's been to someone. Then I think he's kind just when it suits him--only then I find out he undercharges poor people. I don't know, Your Majesty. He's a mess.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"

"Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle



“She said 'Over my dead body!' so I took her at her word.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slime any second. Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. "I'll make some hot buttered toast," she said. "Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy??" Howl asked. "Make toast!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“That's why I love spiders. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Look. Survey. Inspect. My hair is ruined! I look like a pan of bacon and eggs!”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Things are going round and round in my head--or maybe my head is going round and round in things.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle



“A fickle heart is the only constant in this world”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Meanwhile a certain amount of moaning and groaning was coming from upstairs. Sophie kept muttering to the dog and ignored it. A loud, hollow coughing followed, dying away into more moaning. Crashing sneezes followed the coughing, each one rattling the window and all the doors. Sophie found those harder to ignore, but she managed. Poot-pooooot! went a blown nose, like a bassoon in a tunnel. The coughing started again, mingled with moans. Sneezes mixed with the moans and the coughs, and the sounds rose to a crescendo in which Howl seemed to be managing to cough, groan, blow his nose, sneeze, and wail gently all at the same time. The doors rattled, the beams in the ceiling shook, and one of Calcifer’s logs rolled off onto the hearth.
“All right, all right, I get the message!” Sophie said, dumping the log back into the grate. “It’ll be green slime next”.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


“Wizard Howl," said Wizard Suliman. "I must apologize for trying to bite you so often. In the normal way, I wouldn't dream of setting teeth in a fellow countryman.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, quote from Howl's Moving Castle


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About the author

Diana Wynne Jones
Born place: in London, England, The United Kingdom
Born date August 16, 1934
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