1. Abdullah's daydreams are described early in Chapter 1. How far afield does he fall from the fulfillment of his daydreams by the novel's conclusion? Is the outcome what he expected?

2. Castle in the Air is a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. What characters are found in both novels? Are you better able to follow characters and events in Castle in the Air because you have read the earlier novel? Or do you think reading it is not really necessary?

Castle in the Air 4503 3. What techniques does Jones use to develop humor? How effective are they?

4. Jones typically employs mythology and fairy tale elements in her fantasies. Castle in the Air is particularly drawn from tales assembled as The Arabian Nights. Read some of these tales and compare them to Abdullah's story.

5. At the outset of the novel Abdullah is a successful...