Quotes from Diana Wynne Jones

Sophie did not care to think how Howl might react if Fanny woke him by stabbing him with her parasol. "No, no!" she said. "Howl has been very kind to me." And this was true, Sophie realized. Howl showed his kindness rather strangely, but, considering all Sophie had done to annoy him, he had been very good to her indeed.

My word, he's ugly!' Howl said. 'Chip off the old block.

You can't be fussy when you're off to seek your fortune.

FOREST OF DOOM: This is usually the home of mobile and prehensile TREES. There will e giant SPIDERS too, and Dwellers near the centre who will want to SACRIFICE any stranger to their God. It is best to avoid the place if possible. But the Management usually insists on sending you there. An OLD RUINED CITY is sometimes situated in the heart of this Forest. See also WOODS.

It was Cesari's most luscious cake, covered in cream and cherries and little curls of chocolate.

You're still here, he said. Is something the matter? Sophie sniffed. I'm old, she began. But it was just as the Witch had said and the fire demon had guessed. Michael said cheerfully, Well, it comes to us all in time. Would you like some breakfast?

I daresay she is as proud of you as I am. We are two old ladies who both had a hand in forming you. You are, one might say, our joint creation. Don't you think I did any of me myself, then? Howl asked. Put in just a few touches of my own? A few, and those not altogether to my liking, Mrs Pentstemmon replied.

horrible horseless carriage. The invisible watchers

I'm a failure! Garbage! You just never stop to think.

If you mean that boys are easy to deal with, Christopher said, I'm afraid this is not the case. Not boys from Twelve A. And not girls either, the Goddess said loudly. Not from anywhere.

Being a child of Earth means more than you think

You can't alter the past. The only thing you can alter is the future. People write stories pretending you can alter the past, but it can't be done. All you can do to the past is remember it wrong or interpret it differently, and that's no good to us.

Don't worry, old thing," Sophie said to the face. "You look quite healthy. Besides, this is much more like you than you really are.

As an old woman, she did not mind what she did or said. She found that a great relief.

You've rotted your mind with reading books.

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 three.

He could not believe things could get any worse—so they had to get better.

You can't blame that genie for hating everyone," she said. "Think how you felt shut in that dungeon.

I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frighteningly is to tell myself I'm not doing it!

Por eso me gustan las arañas. Si al principio no lo consiguen, lo vuelven a intentar. Yo lo intento —dijo con gran pesar—. Pero la culpa es mía, porque hice un trato hace años y ahora jamás seré capaz de amar a nadie de verdad.

I've been feeling rather bloodthirsty lately, and saving the world seemed a good way to use it.

Howl se compra ropa carísima, porque dice que nadie querría contratar a un mago con pinta de no ser capaz de ganar dinero con su oficio.

Quizá —dijo— deberías estar más pendiente de a quién muerde tu perro. —¡Yo no! —dijo Jamal—. Soy un creyente del libre albedrío. Si mi perro elige odiar a toda la raza humana menos a mí, es libre de hacerlo.

Nobody ever gets praised for the right reasons.