The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya [Paperback]

Nagaru Tanigawa (Author), Noizi Ito (Illustrator), Chris Pai (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Haruhi holds the fate of the universe in her hands . . . lucky for you she doesn't know it!

Meet Haruhi - a cute, determined girl, starting high school in a city where nothing exciting happens and absolutely no one understands her.

Meet Kyon ­­- the sarcastic guy who sits behind Haruhi in homeroom and the only boy Haruhi has ever opened up to. His fate is now tied to hers.

Meet the S.O.S. Brigade - an after-school club organized by Haruhi with a mission to seek out the extraordinary. Oh, and their second mission? Keeping Haruhi happy . . . because even though she doesn't know it, Haruhi has the power to destroy the universe. Seriously.

The phenomenon that took Japan by storm - with more than 4.5 million copies sold - is now available in the first-ever English edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Haruhi Suzumiya, who dislikes boredom and has cravings to meet aliens, time travelers, and espers, decides to liven up things in her high school. She starts a new club, the S.O.S. Brigade, and takes over a classroom, some computer equipment, and, because she forces them to join, a big part of the new members' lives. Kyon is especially drawn in by Haruhi's demanding nature and her cute face. It is hard to imagine why, as she bosses everyone around, is moody and abrupt, and is generally unlikable. Soon, Kyon discovers that the other club members are some sort of aliens with powers that intervene in human affairs for the Data Overmind when certain humans have thoughts and feelings that affect the configurations of space and time. For some reason, Haruhi is one of those humans, and the interfaces try to use Kyon to intercept and influence her reactions and deflect problematic results. This novel goes nowhere conclusive, serving only as an introduction to a series of 10 sequels popular in Japan. Characters are sketchy and at times the story drags. The writing style has a mangalike sensation, with several manga drawings included. Interestingly, there is an excerpt from a new graphic novel based on the same story appended at the end, announcing the upcoming publication of it in that format, for which the tone and style of the narrative seem much better suited.–Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Nagaru Tanigawa is a Japanese author best known for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for which he won the grand prize at the eighth annual Sneaker Awards. Tanigawa is currently working on the tenth novel about Haruhi Suzumiya and the S.O.S. Brigade.

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316039020
• ISBN-13: 978-0316039024
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT the manga, April 14, 2009

By 

L. Cheng "Lumiere" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Hardcover)

Almost every single review here is about volume one of the manga. This is NOT the manga, but a translated light novel, which means there's no pictures other than a few pages of colored illustrations which I believe is by Noizi Ito (who designed the Haruhi characters, as well as Shana characters), and the manga preview. The light novel is what started it all, so this novel is the reason the anime and manga versions even existed.

Do not base the reviews on all the reviews talking about the manga, because this is not the manga. The quality of this translated light novel is very good, and the hardcover makes it look very nice.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 10, 2009

By 

Aaron C. Cash "Rinuv" (Statesville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Hardcover)

This light novel has a fascinating style of narration that feeds the action to the reader in a descriptive and comical way. The first-person perspective lends to the narration in a texturally exciting fashion.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haruhi Light Novel, April 12, 2009

By 

Anton D (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Hardcover)

This book is a must have for both Haruhi fans and those who have been recently introduced to this wonderful series. It is very well translated and doesn't leave those who are not accustomed to Japanese culture completely confused. Also, the art work and colored pages are extremely beautiful. A must buy!