Quotessence
Home / Books / Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle

Book by Diana Wynne Jones · 16 quotes · Humor, Sophie, Howl

Filter quotes by topic

Howl's Moving Castle Quotes

“Howl pointed a shaky hand up toward the canopy of his bed. “That’s why I love spiders. ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, again.’ I keep trying,” he said with great sadness. “But I brought it on myself by making a bargain some years ago, and I know I shall never be able to love anyone properly now.” The water running out of Howl’s eyes was definitely tears now.”

“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.”

“Howl backed into the door to shut it and leaned there in a tragic attitude. "Look at you all!" he said. "Ruin stares me in the face. I slave all day for you. And not one of you, even Calcifer, can spare time to say hello!" Calcifer said, "I never do say hello." "Is something wrong?" asked Sophie. "That's better," Howl said. "Some of you are pretending to notice me at last. Yes, something is wrong.”

“...Tüm bunlar Bahar Bayramı için son derece normaldi, ama Sophie bundan da korkmuştu. Mavi-gümüş renkte, şahane bir kostüm giymiş genç bir adam Sophie'yi görüp ona yanaşmaya kalktığında, Sophie bir dükkanın girişine çekilip saklanmaya çalıştı. Genç adam şaşkınlıkla ona baktı. "Merak etme, seni minik gri fare," sesi gülerek, yüzünde ona acıyormuş gibi bir ifade vardı. "Sadece bir içki ısmarlamak istemiştim. O kadar korkmana gerek yok." Bu acıma dolu bakış Sophie'yi utanç içinde bıraktı. Üstelik karşısındaki son derece havalı bir delikanlıydı. İnce ve zeki görünen bir yüzü vardı -aslında epey yaşlıydı, yirmilerinde görünüyordu- ayrıca sarı saçlarını özenle taramıştı. Kenarları fistolu ve sırma işlemeli manşetlerinin tülleri Meydan'daki diğerlerinden daha uzundu. "Ah, hayır, teşekkür ederim, müsaadenizle efendim," diye kekeledi Sophie. "Ben... ben kardeşimi görmeye gidiyordum." "O halde buyrun gidin," diyerek güldü olgun, genç adam. "Ben kimim ki hoş bir hanımı kardeşini görmekten alıkoyacağım? Sizinle yürümemi ister misiniz, çünkü çok korkmuş görünüyorsunuz." Bunu iyi niyetle söylemesi Sophie'yi daha da utandırmıştı. "Yok. Hayır, teşekkür ederim efendim!" dedi telaşta ve adamı hızla geçip yola koyuldu. Adam koku da sürmüştü. Koşarken sümbül kokusu onu takip ediyordu. Cesari'nin dışındaki minik masaların arasından geçmeye çalışırken, "Ne kibar biri!" diye düşündü Sophie.”

“Inside, Howl was still sitting on the stool. He sat in an attitude of utter despair. And he was covered all over in thick green slime. There were horrendous, dramatic, violent quantities of green slime – oodles of it. It covered Howl completely. It draped his head and shoulders in sticky dollops, heaping on his knees and hands, trickling in glops down his legs and dripping off the stool in sticky strands. It was in oozing ponds and crawling pools over most of the floor. Long fingers of it had crept into the hearth. It smelled vile. “Save me!” Calcifer cried in a hoarse whisper. He was down to two desperately flickering small flames. “This stuff is going to put me out!” Sophie held up her skirt and marched as near Howl as she could get – which was not very near. “Stop it!” she said. “Stop it at once! You are behaving just like a baby!”

“He gave Sophie the smile which had no doubt charmed the Witch of the Waste and possibly Lettie too, firing it along the fork, across the cream, straight into Sophie’s eyes, dazzlingly. “If you can bully Calcifer, the King should give you no trouble at all.” Sophie stared through the dazzle and said nothing. This, she thought, was where she slithered out. She was leaving. It was too bad about Calcifer’s contract. She had had enough of Howl. First green slime, then glaring at her for something Calcifer had done quite freely, and now this! Tomorrow she would slip off to Upper Folding and tell Lettie all about it.”