Haruhi holds the fate of the universe in her hands . . . lucky for you she doesn't know it!
Meet Haruhi - a cute, determined girl, ... read full description
Meet Haruhi - a cute, determined girl, ... read full description
reviews
Oct 05, 2011
Juwairiah
rated it: 
The Melancholy of Hiruhi Suzumiya! That title poped right out at me in my search for a good graphic novel that would turn heads! The plot is simple. Kyon is a highschool student. He enters high school. And than come Hiruhi Suzumiya. A strange girl who is over energetic and never stops until she gets what she wants. And not only that>did i mention she has a thing with Aliens, Espers, time travelers and anything strange!! At first Kyon does not want tp believe think that these things exists b
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Aug 04, 2011
Kyle
rated it: 
Ah, the memories of watching the Haruhi Suzumiya anime all came back as I read through this first novel in the series. Obviously, the novel goes into much more detail than the show.
And since I've watched the anime, I already knew what was to come, and the "surprising" events didn't catch me off guard, although it still was enjoyable to read.
It's a light read, which slowly starts off normal enough. The reader gets insight into the mind of Kyon, as it is through h More...
And since I've watched the anime, I already knew what was to come, and the "surprising" events didn't catch me off guard, although it still was enjoyable to read.
It's a light read, which slowly starts off normal enough. The reader gets insight into the mind of Kyon, as it is through h More...
Jul 26, 2011
Katherine
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Apr 18, 2011
Chibineko
rated it:
I'd initially been introduced to this series via the fan translations of this volume & the anime, but I'm glad to say that I got the chance to read the official translation. It's an entirely different thing to read the book with the illustrations.
If you're not familiar with the series then you're in for a treat. This is one of the better light novels available on the market, being both lighthearted & serious at the same time. It's rather hard to dislike the titular character, to be More...
If you're not familiar with the series then you're in for a treat. This is one of the better light novels available on the market, being both lighthearted & serious at the same time. It's rather hard to dislike the titular character, to be More...
Jan 27, 2011
Jay
rated it: 
I read this novel because I wanted more of the story after watching the anime, and because books always have more to offer than their movie/tv show counterparts. Well it was a huge disappointment. Everything, and I mean every single scene in the book was incorporated into the anime so there was nothing new, and the writing was so bland that it left almost no motivation to finish the book. I do feel that a lot of the voice is lost in translation, but even so there could've been so much more to of
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Jun 11, 2010
Sydney →☺
rated it:
As soon as I watched the anime for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, I was instantly confused. I gave it up for a long time because I had no idea what was going on. Eventually, I read the manga for this and I immediately loved it. I knew that I didn't give it enough of a chance, and I went back and watched the entire series -- it was amazing. Not too heavy, but very entertaining and humorous. So when I learned there was a book for this, I was instantly nervous it would be ruined or shoved in
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Jun 18, 2009
Mallory
rated it:
I’ve never been a big fan of manga, which is probably why I’d never heard of this novel until quite recently. Apparently, it’s more or less the Japanese incarnation of Twilight. Not so much because of vampires and romance, but moreso because it’s a sub-par novel that has become an international craze. At least enough of a craze for its English translation to have a display near the front of Borders. When I mentioned it to my manga-nerd friends, they knew exactly what I was talking about. Th
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May 13, 2009
Andrew
rated it: 
"Summary: On the first day at a Japanese high school, an irrepressible girl announces her lack of interest in 'ordinary humans' and proceeds to form a club dedicated to finding aliens, time travelers, and other forms of supernatural life, with the intention of having fun with them."
In 2003, Kadokawa Shoten published Nagaru Tanigawa's The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The novel captured the collective imagination of Japan's otaku, and adaptations in manga, anime and video g More...
In 2003, Kadokawa Shoten published Nagaru Tanigawa's The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The novel captured the collective imagination of Japan's otaku, and adaptations in manga, anime and video g More...
Jul 24, 2011
Ella
rated it:
The story is unique and extraordinary but I still didn't enjoy reading it. Some parts became boring. So I was not motivated enough to finish the whole book. Also, I wasn't feeling the story. Kyon narrates the story but it's like.... I don't exactly know how to explain but I just wasn't feeling it. It just felt like a story was being told to me without any feeling.
The characters were interesting though. They all have different personalities. Like Haruhi, she's mysterious but very bossy. More...
The characters were interesting though. They all have different personalities. Like Haruhi, she's mysterious but very bossy. More...
Jun 19, 2009
Monk
rated it:
This novel was the translation of the novel that made the name Haruhi Suzumiya a hit in Japan. It has since become serialized in not only novel format, but also in Manga and Anime as well.
For anyone who's seen the anime or read the manga, congratulations - you pretty much got the same thing again. That said, the novel isn't bad. It covers the life of Kyon after becoming ensnared in the strange life of Haruhi Suzumiya, a girl who is obsessed with transcending the mundane world. In her More...
For anyone who's seen the anime or read the manga, congratulations - you pretty much got the same thing again. That said, the novel isn't bad. It covers the life of Kyon after becoming ensnared in the strange life of Haruhi Suzumiya, a girl who is obsessed with transcending the mundane world. In her More...
Jul 02, 2009
Stephanie
rated it:
This is a review of the Haruhi Suzumiya light novels, volumes 1-7. I'd give the first few only 3 stars because they aren't as involved as the later ones: you reach the best parts as the puzzle pieces mount and create a bigger and bigger picture. The reason I didn't give the series five stars is that some stylistic choices don't translate well into English. Kyon is an extremely introspective narrator; metaphors are frequently "bloated" according to English standards; the plot unravels s
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Aug 31, 2009
E.
rated it:
Attention American Rearers: You WILL experience culture shock while reading this novel. If you are unfamiliar with the inner-workings of Japanese private schools, the way sexuality is portrayed in their books and films, or have never read an imported comic book, you’re going to have to keep an open mind when reading The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. But, if you’re willing to try something different, this novel is a real treat. One boy’s mundane existence is thrown upside down when he starts hig
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Feb 05, 2012
Eadwacer
rated it:
This is the story about a girl who can change the world just by wanting. It has appeared in a wide range of media in a wide range of countries. So far, I have read most of the light novels (there are ten in the series), watched both seasons anime, and scanned a couple of the manga. It’s a fun concept, somewhat flawed in the execution. This review is specifically about Volume 1, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Three years before the start of the novel, Haruhi Suzumiya (then in midd More...
Three years before the start of the novel, Haruhi Suzumiya (then in midd More...
May 23, 2011
Sean
rated it:
The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is about a 14 year old Japanese schoolgirl.
(Well, there's a surprise. When was the last time you came across a light novel that didn't have a teenage girl as the protagonist? Japanese authors write about schoolgirls the way Americans write about middle aged white guys.)
True. Although to be fair, Haruhi isn't really the protagonist. She's more a force of nature. The real protag of the story is the narrator, Kyon. He doesn't want to be the More...
(Well, there's a surprise. When was the last time you came across a light novel that didn't have a teenage girl as the protagonist? Japanese authors write about schoolgirls the way Americans write about middle aged white guys.)
True. Although to be fair, Haruhi isn't really the protagonist. She's more a force of nature. The real protag of the story is the narrator, Kyon. He doesn't want to be the More...
Jun 16, 2010
Malia
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. The narrator (poor Kyon) has a sarcastic edge to him despite finding out that the world quite literally revolves around the emotions of one bored bossy chick. Haruhi is a funny and slightly twisted character and I dig that. The book lost me whenever they tried to incorporate the supernatural or the scientific phenomena because it was done so badly like a half ass afterthought. Luckily it only came up a bit in the middle but then it kinda ruined a few chapters near the en
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Oct 23, 2009
Jayd
rated it:
This book was amazingly, incredibly poorly written. I can't blame it on translation; No translator could have done this awful a job. The main character is an absolute shmuck. He's complaining about things constantly - that or he's being perverted. The amount of adjectives shoved into every single one of his sentences is astounding, especially when you look at his passion (or lack thereof) for school, and his one or two word sentences. His opinion is that if someone is different, they should chan
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Dec 27, 2011
Adam
rated it:
You Have To Keep Suzumiya Happy! Oh God You Have To Keep Her Happy!!
If you have seen the anime of this book then there is nothing new here; and by nothing new I mean that pretty much 100% of this book went into the anime. I personally enjoyed reading the source for the show but don't get this book looking for new material.
If you haven't seen the anime then this is the first book in a Japanese 'Light Novel' series which to avoid spoiling I will sum up by quoting the blurb on t More...
If you have seen the anime of this book then there is nothing new here; and by nothing new I mean that pretty much 100% of this book went into the anime. I personally enjoyed reading the source for the show but don't get this book looking for new material.
If you haven't seen the anime then this is the first book in a Japanese 'Light Novel' series which to avoid spoiling I will sum up by quoting the blurb on t More...
Mar 18, 2009
Jackie
rated it:
This a great book. One of my favorites. I don't know how the translation holds up, since I read it in Japanese. I'm really, really happy they're translating it like this, though. It's just such a great story with such great characters. Haruhi and Kyon are two of my favorite characters in any genre.
This book is, at heart, a slice-of-life school comedy. It has slapstick comedy, situational comedy, and Kyon's witty, sarcastic, far-too-well-read-for-his-character narration. It also bril More...
This book is, at heart, a slice-of-life school comedy. It has slapstick comedy, situational comedy, and Kyon's witty, sarcastic, far-too-well-read-for-his-character narration. It also bril More...
Mar 13, 2009
Karen
rated it:
I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers here, come join me. That is all.
I wish I had the good sense to introduce myself this way on the first day of high school. I may have ended up with cooler friends...
Kyon gave up his dreams of finding anything supernatural or out of the ordinary long ago. Until his first day of high school where he meets the oddest girl he's ever known. Haruhi Suzumiya may be cute, but she's t More...
I wish I had the good sense to introduce myself this way on the first day of high school. I may have ended up with cooler friends...
Kyon gave up his dreams of finding anything supernatural or out of the ordinary long ago. Until his first day of high school where he meets the oddest girl he's ever known. Haruhi Suzumiya may be cute, but she's t More...
Feb 22, 2011
Jamie
rated it:
I found this for fairly cheap and picked it up out of curiosity. I'm not really a big fan of the anime, so I've sometimes wondered if there's something about it that I'm just missing. While I wasn't really in for any surprises as far as the plot was concerned, I am happy to report that I liked the light novel better than the show.
Largely, I think this is due to the fact that the book is much shorter than the show. Haruhi comes off as less "spoiled brat that needs to be taken More...
Largely, I think this is due to the fact that the book is much shorter than the show. Haruhi comes off as less "spoiled brat that needs to be taken More...
Aug 02, 2009
Josh
rated it:
I waited a really long time for this book to come out but had forgotten about it completely this year until I came across it in the book store.
I had originally seen bits and pieces of the anime, as most Americans have, and was anxious to read the original novel. While I enjoyed it as a whole, the anime is pretty much an exact play-by-play of the book. Even the dialogue is nearly identical between the two, which is good for hardcore fans, I suppose.
To be honest, I didn't find the book More...
I had originally seen bits and pieces of the anime, as most Americans have, and was anxious to read the original novel. While I enjoyed it as a whole, the anime is pretty much an exact play-by-play of the book. Even the dialogue is nearly identical between the two, which is good for hardcore fans, I suppose.
To be honest, I didn't find the book More...
Nov 09, 2009
John Paul
rated it:
a book that has a lot more to it than just some humorous fantasy. the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has a pretty straight forward story line, however it engages in multiple theories of philosophy having to do with time, paradoxes, and many interesting thoughts involving sci-fi and fantasy. many of these theories are bluntly expressed in the story while some are not so easy to see. if given some thought, these ideas can cooperate with everyday life and it become clear that the author want us to
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May 08, 2011
Rute
rated it:
Divertido e leve, mas ainda assim inteligente. Sem grandes surpresas para quem viu a adaptação para anime (e/ou leu a tradução amadora que se encontrava online antes da tradução oficial em inglês ser publicada), mas gostei de revisitar a história e os personagens, principalmente as pequenas pistas que a Yuki, a Mikuru e o Itsuki dão de vez em quando sobre o que se está a passar nos "bastidores" e que se tendem a perder no "furacão" Haruhi. Como geek que sou, adorei também as
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Dec 17, 2009
Ben
rated it:
After watching the animated series based of these light novels, I picked this book up simply to see how well it can match the quality of the Anime and frankly i was pretty impressed. Although some text was rather poor written due to the rather unorthodox word choice that the translator decided to use, this book was pretty good. The author tells the story though a sarcastic narration done by one of the main characters keeping it interesting and somewhat connectible to the constant complains and s
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Dec 26, 2011
Theresa ♥
rated it:
Alrighty, first I have to explain a few things.
A while ago in the summer, I found this book sitting on the shelves of the library and I took it out and looked at it. At this time, I really wasn't familiar with the anime. I mean I know what it was but I didn't understand anything of it. I did watch a few episodes but it seemed weird to me.
So checked out this book and I read about . . . half of it. Then I stopped and I ended up returning the thing.
And then, about thre More...
A while ago in the summer, I found this book sitting on the shelves of the library and I took it out and looked at it. At this time, I really wasn't familiar with the anime. I mean I know what it was but I didn't understand anything of it. I did watch a few episodes but it seemed weird to me.
So checked out this book and I read about . . . half of it. Then I stopped and I ended up returning the thing.
And then, about thre More...
Jul 17, 2010
Meepit
rated it:
Basically a book about a overly bored and sarcastic protagonist who wishes life wasn't so boring and gets his wish granted in the form of a beautiful, intelligent and completely insane girl. Throw in a time traveler, an alien, an esper and the fact that this girl can unconciously manipulate the world to her bidding and you've got what this book is basically about. If you like japanese books, being crazy, or simply wish that for once your life something out of the ordinary, pick it up and try it.
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May 05, 2009
Vania
rated it:
“The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” is a novel based on the popular Japanese comics of the same title. The story revolves around a girl who gets the reputation for being a strange and mysterious outcast by her own desire. When introducing herself in class she says she, “I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders or espers here, come join me. That is all.” After barely befriending a fellow classmate she decides that in order to find those few who are s
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Jun 12, 2010
Rhockman
rated it:
El argumento es absorbente pero peca en exceso de protagonista "concha vacía" (Suena mejor en inglés).
Hice un intento muy fuerte por despegarme de la imagen de la portada y hacerme mi propio elenco de personajes de carne y hueso... pero está escrito para que sean personajes de manga.
Creo que hay otra historia igual de interesante en el libro, distinta a la que transcurre en el relato; y me imagino que es la de un autor bienintencionado con una idea interesante y More...
Hice un intento muy fuerte por despegarme de la imagen de la portada y hacerme mi propio elenco de personajes de carne y hueso... pero está escrito para que sean personajes de manga.
Creo que hay otra historia igual de interesante en el libro, distinta a la que transcurre en el relato; y me imagino que es la de un autor bienintencionado con una idea interesante y More...
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Apr 26, 2011
CuriousLibrarian
rated it:
This was a somewhat fascinating read, because it was essentially the novel version of a manga. This made it especially odd when Haruhi was doing things like pawing and stripping poor Asahina. Reading about it in prose is definitely more disturbing and awkward to me than seeing the same sort of thing in a manga illustration.
This is light YA read, with a supernatural element. It is clearly the first in a series. It amused me as brain candy, but I doubt I would bother to seek out seque More...
This is light YA read, with a supernatural element. It is clearly the first in a series. It amused me as brain candy, but I doubt I would bother to seek out seque More...
Jun 05, 2010
Sam
rated it:
Title: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What would the world be like with a bit more sense for adventure? Kyon, a freshman who going through his first day of his high school life had already gave up his own dream for adventure and mysteries of the world, until… “I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers here, come join me. That is all.” Haruhi, a prideful girl who happened to sit in back of Kyon h More...
Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
What would the world be like with a bit more sense for adventure? Kyon, a freshman who going through his first day of his high school life had already gave up his own dream for adventure and mysteries of the world, until… “I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers here, come join me. That is all.” Haruhi, a prideful girl who happened to sit in back of Kyon h More...
