Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

4 stars for Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Howl’s Moving Castle is a heart-warming story about love, courage, magic, and self-discovery. The is a story that caters to all age groups.

I want to stress that though I give the novel a 4-star rating, the Japanese animation movie created by Studio Ghibli (co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki) warrants a 5 stars rating. The animated movie is rich and strange, and the animation is beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Of all the Japanese "animated movies" I have watched over the years, Howl's Moving Castle has always been my favourite and still is. I cannot remember how many times I have watched it, I only know that each time I watch Howl's Moving Castle again, it always comes across as amazing and captivates me as if I am watching it for the first time. I remember first watching Howl's Moving Castle in 2006, around August to October time, and I was greatly charmed by wizard Howl. There are two scenes that I adore much in the anime. One is where Howl made his first appearance to protect Sophie and together they walked in the air before safely reaching the bakery. The other one is where Howl made his second appearance; he returns to his castle and he took over from Sophie to cook a breakfast of bacon and eggs.

All those years, I have always assumed that this animation movie was the result of some Japanese standalone manga or series. I have no idea that the anime originates from a novel, that is, until I saw the story book available for sale in a big bookstore during my trip to Tokyo last November.

It has been many years since I watched the movie, and Howl charms me still when I read the book where it all originates from. The novel is written with a dazzling plot and the spectacular team involving Howl, Sophie and Calcifer is brought to life through the unlimited imagination of author Diana. All three characters have magic - strong magic, one of a kind magic - which they use in very different ways, and that makes the reader in me adore them so.

What I like most in this fantasy novel is that, Howl as the hero, is not what we expect to see in most conventional novels - Howl is a flawed hero. Due to his flaws, Howl turns out to be even more of a compelling hero character. Because no one is perfect, not even heroes. Flawed Howl is made interesting because we never know what he is going to do next. I think it will be interesting and exciting to live under the same roof with a wizard of his calibre. 

For my own reference sake, I will provide a brief summary of the characters and a few items of importance.

Howell Jenkins mainly known as Howl
Sophie Hatter, the heroine in the story
Calcifer, the fire demon
Michael Fisher, wizard Howl's apprentice

The characters live in an enchanted castle with four doors - each opens on a different dimension.
There is a square wooden knob above the moving castle door, set into the lintel, with a dab of paint on each of its four sides.

The green blob goes onto the wide, moving moorland and the hills.
The blue blob goes to Porthaven entrance - the inside of it is really just Howl’s old house in Porthaven, which is the only real part.
The red blob leads to Kingsbury entrance, where the King lives.
The black blob leads to Howl's private bolt hole.

Later on, the doors are changed as follows:

The yellow blob leads to the street in Market Chipping.
The orange blob leads to an empty mansion at the end of the valley.
The purple blob leads to the edge of the Waste.
The black blob remains unchanged.

Review: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

4 stars for The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

The Reader is a tragic story of a whole life lived. It is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that explores the complexities of human relationships, guilt, and redemption.

Set in post-war Germany, The Reader begins with the unusual relationship, one of unequal experience and power, between a young German man 15-year old Michael Berg and an older woman 36-year old Hanna Schmitz, who harbours a dark secret. The story later turns into a philosophical enquiry into the effects of the Holocaust on a generation whose parents are perceived as at best complicit, at worst perpetrators. Central to the story is the question: what is to be done with the knowledge and the guilt of the Holocaust?

Through Michael's narrative that spans over the years, the author masterfully weaves together themes of love and moral responsibility, raising important questions about the nature of humanity and the consequences of our actions.

A haunting and unforgettable read. This is a story that will linger in your mind long after you finish the book.

Review: Forest Bathing: The Rejuvenating Practice of Shinrin Yoku by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

3 stars for Forest Bathing: The Rejuvenating Practice of Shinrin Yoku by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

Having enjoyed reading Ikigai, I thought I will have a whale of a time reading Forest Bathing since it is written by the same set of authors, but boy, I am so wrong. I like to believe the issue is not so much the content but the translation. I really want to like this Forest Bathing book, but it is hard to make myself enjoy it for two reasons. First, the sentences are long, often too long for my liking; by the time I finish reading those long sentences, I have mostly lost sense of what they are about and I have to read them all over again, and sometimes, the same repeats itself. Second, the sentence construction - sometimes, or should I say, most times - just doesn't seems right to me. As a result, I find myself struggling to pick up the book to continue reading from where I left off each time.

This is a book that shows us the ways to boost emotional well-being and improve overall health. It guides readers to finding the connection with the natural world, and the ways to replenish our body, mind and spirt among the trees. To put it simply, this is a book on how to practice the art of Shinrin-Yoku, translated literally as "forest bathing". The book shares with us the healing and rejuvenating effects of Shinrin-Yoku. It also delves into the science of how Shinrin-Yoku - a powerful therapy for relaxing the mind and reducing stress - heals patients.

What I like most about this book is that it is filled with lovely drawings and relaxing black and white pictures of nature, of mountain, trees and bamboos. These pictures let the reader in me feel at ease while reading and gives me the feeling that it is possible to recapture the healing magic of nature, that nature is much actually closer to us than we think. And this is exactly what Shinrin-Yoku is all about. Also, I am glad that I have read the book Ikigai first as Forest Bathing refers to Ikigai and some of its content more than once. If I have not read Ikigai first, I will not have any idea what the authors are referring to.

Finally, I want to say that I can attest to the benefits of Shinrin-Yoku. Because I am a living example. I wouldn't for the life of me, have believed in the logic and explanations of Shinrin-Yoku if it has not happened to me personally. I attended a 7-day retreat in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, in May 2022. Long story short, at that time, I thought my healing is due to meditation, the quality of the food and beverage I consumed, and the way of eating. Looking back (and having read this book), I believe it is a combination of factors - meditation, mindful eating and the quality of food consumed on top of, yes, Shinrin-Yoku.

Review: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

5 stars for Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

I have been eyeing this book for quite some time, but I only take action to buy it during a trip to Tokyo that was decided on a whim last November. The fact that "ikigai" is a Japanese concept makes buying this hardcover book in Japan even more memorable and meaningful to me.

I have no doubt that my choice to make this book my first read of the Year will turn out to be a life-changing decision. Even as I finish reading this book, I decide there and then, that this will be my go-to book should I - ever or again - lose sight of my purpose and meaning for living. Yes, this book is that inspirational!

Though the meaning of "ikigai" is explained by the authors in the book, I am still curious as to how a Japanese, any Japanese in fact, will exlain it, so I ask a close Japanese friend of mine what "ikigai" means. Below is what he says to me.

"Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means ‘a reason for being.’ It is about finding what makes your life meaningful and worth living."

There I have it - short and sweet.

This is a book about people searching for meaning in what they do and how they live. It shares with readers the tools to finding the purpose, meaning and satisfaction of living that will lead to a joyful journey through life. It provides insights from Japanese philosophy on the lasting health of body, mind and spirit. In a nutshell, this book is about discovering our ikigai.

Besides ikigai, this book also introduces two other Japanese concepts: ichi-go ichi-e and wabi-sabi. Again, I consulted the same Japanese friend and below is what was explained to me.

"Ichi-go ichi-e" means once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

"Wabi-sabi" means beauty in simplicity and imperfection.

He explains further by saying, “Wabi-sabi” is a Japanese aesthetic concept that values the beauty found in simplicity and imperfection. For example, it appreciates the quiet elegance of an aged teacup or the tranquility of nature, focusing on understated beauty rather than extravagance or perfection.

Each of us has our own ikigai. Though it is different for all of us, we are all searching for meaning. When we spend our days feeling connected to what is meaningful to us, we live more fully; when we don't feel the connection, we live with despair.

We can find our ikigai by doing things we enjoy, and get away from or change those we dislike. We can let our curiosity lead the way, and keep busy by doing things that fill us with meaning and happiness. It doesn’t need to be a big thing; we might find meaning in helping our friends or in pursuing a hobby such as learning a musical instrument or a new language.

There is no perfect strategy to connecting with our ikigai. We just need to remember to have something that keeps us busy doing what we love while being surrounded by the people who care for us. To put it simply, I think it is the little things in life that add up to make a big difference in living.

This book concludes by sharing with readers "The ten rules of ikigai" that the authors learn from the long-living residents of Okinawa, Ogimi. Personally, I find these ten rules filled with much wisdom. At first glance, the rules may seem simple and easy enough to follow, yet it will take much determination for one to follow it through day by day. Ultimately, it all depends on how much value we place on what is important to us and making efforts to uphold the ten rules to make it our way of living.

What is your ikigai? Do you know it (or them)? If you have yet to find out what your ikigai is, as Viktor E. Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning" says, your mission is to discover it.

Whoever reads this review post, I hope you will find your ikigai if you have yet to discover it. I wish you a long, happy, and purposeful life. 🙏