The Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series can be summed up by one word: compelling.
First, what it isn't. Haruhi isn't packed with explosive action - but it does have it.
Haruhi isn't focused on asking the reader to solve impossible mysteries - or a confusing narrative - but it does have those.
Haruhi isn't a science fiction epic - but it can be when it wants to.
Haruhi isn't focused on just time travel - or galactic battles between aliens - or intense fights between powerful opponents. But it has all of those.
If you somehow haven't watched the anime, glanced at the manga, heard about the various spinoffs - let alone read these novels, then you might be confused about the point I am trying to make. You may, in fact, think that this is a clusterf*ck of stupid themes and tropes - and by all accounts, it should be. Any lesser work would crack under the weight of its own ideas and become yet another boring, aloof arthouse flick. Haruhi, however, is not a lesser work. Nagaru Tanigawa's fantastic writing and Noizo Ito's iconic illustrations come together in an unbelievable, brilliant way that left me with a profound impression. Readers at the time thought so too - and if anything, it's worth watching the anime or reading the novels just to experience something considered such an important slice of Japanese pop culture's history that continues to influence works today, both in written and television media.
On to the novels themselves, though: Like most people, I saw the anime show first, so the first few novels will probably feel quite familiar - albeit a bit less scrambled than the broadcast order of the show. It was no less compelling, though, and I was delighted by being able to see new scenes not shown in Kyoani's adaptation. Seeing The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film adaptation for the first time is one thing, but reading the source material was equally impressive and one of the highlights of the novels. One of the notable things about the anime is that there aren't particularly any villains in the story so to speak; Haruhi's greatest demon to conquer may just be Haruhi herself. However, in later novels new foil characters are introduced who play an important role. I was skeptical at their inclusion at first, but these characters are fleshed out quickly and become entangled in thought-provoking plot after plot - and the payoffs are consistently fantastic. Another highlight was The Intruiges of Haruhi Suzumiya - I'm avoiding spoilers here, but just know this: It's 250 pages of fascinating time-travel mayhem and buildup for a wind-cuttingly breathtaking payoff. I'd also like to briefly touch on one other thing that I don't see discussion on - the time period it's set in. Haruhi adopts this wonderful early-2000s setting, before the age of mobile devices and instant messaging and I have to say I find this time period wonderful. It's an era that's slowly becoming retro and carries this strangely calm, analogue vibe. I love it!
Much like the show though, Haruhi does have it's weaker parts. The second novel - The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya - was a weaker arc in the series (not helped by Kyoani's controversial Endless Eight adaptation, which is actually one of the best chapters in the novels!) - and Sigh is definitely the weakest of the books here, opting for more exposition and character building. By no means did it sour my experience, but I imagine it might put some people off from continuing to read after a fantastic book #1. I'll also say this - it's not going to be for everyone. Your enjoyment will hinge on if you enjoy the "air system" of slice of life character-focused works - particularly when the characters here have such contrasting and interesting personalities.
In a day and age of fast-moving online media, I don't take the time to sit down and read a novel these days. But Haruhi is worth your time - and there's really no better opportunity to do so given the recent Yen Press reprint, return of the author at the end of 2019 for the fantastic Intuition of Haruhi Suzumiya and recent uptick in promotional events and crossovers from the series.
I mentioned before about it being worthwhile just to experience something that was such a hit in the mid-2000s, but I think Haruhi is worthy of more than just being recommendable as a museum piece, but as a truly fantastic read that has withstood the weight of 18 years of works that have stood upon its shoulders. Read it - or watch it.
