I was hesitant to read this because I had enjoyed the animation film so much but it had such a high score I decided to give it a try and I am so happy I did. Various things were changed in the movie but this is a rare case of the book and movie BOTH being good despite all of the crazy changes made to it. Sophie's character is so rich and complex as well as Howl. He's not altruistic at all, you watch him evolve, change and ultimately grow to love everyone's quirky ways. It was a very quick read and works as a stand-alone piece.