Book #55, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Awwwwwww! This book wasn't really good enough to warrant five stars, but I gave it five stars anyway because I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I DON'T KNOW WHY
I am usually timid when it comes to translated Japanese novels. Mostly because most of the time the translations are so bad I can't enjoy them. (Anyone tried to read the translations of the Vampire Hunter D novels? DON'T. I'm pretty sure they were not great literature to begin with but the translation was so brutally hard to read.) The translation of Be With You was wonderful, though, so I find myself continuing to try them out - and often, being repeatedly disappointed. But not in this case! The translation felt true to form, but making enough accomodations for the English language to avoid all the stilted and awkward phrasing that precise, word-for-word translations can end up having.
Now, most of the people here on my f-list have seen the Haruhi Suzumiya anime, but there are a few readers that I know haven't so I will give a summary anyway. Kyon is a normal high school student ("Kyon" is a nickname; as far as I can tell, we never actually find out what his real name is). When he shows up for his first day of high school, he's sure it's the start of three of the most normal, boring years of his life. Unfortunately (?) for him, he's sitting directly in front of Haruhi Suzumiya, the craziest girl in school. She introduces herself to the class by announcing that she has no time or patience for ordinary humans, and that if any of the students are aliens, time travelers, or espers (psychics) that they should contact her. Then she sits down.
It doesn't take long for her reputation to grow as "that crazy chick," and Kyon doesn't want to get lumped in with her. But Haruhi is as domineering as she is crazy and soon he finds himself helping her start a school club, the SOS Brigade, and digging up members in an effort to find abnormal people/creatures and find some excitement in their boring high school lives. The twist? Turns out all the things Haruhi is searching for really DO exist, and they're all very, very interested in Haruhi - who holds a lot more power than she could ever imagine.
Like I said, the translation was great - the humor is translated to come across well, without "Americanizing" it. I liked the book because it explained more than the anime. To tell the truth, the overall plotline about Haruhi, her powers, what they can do and who's after her, interested me the most, and while I enjoyed the silliness of the anime I found myself wishing they would get on with it sometimes. This first book, at least, while silly and winding at times, didn't have any parts where I found myself thinking, "Okay, fine, move on now..." I would recommend it as a fun light read to just about anybody! I already gave it to my mom and told her to read it. :D
And I've ordered the next book off Amazon. (It wasn't on my wishlist so I assume it would be safe to get it; I doubt anyone got it for me for Christmas.)
Total book count: 110%
Total page count: 16604/15000 - 110.7%
Up next: I found Valiant Young Women, a book I think my parents got me when I was in junior high. I may or may not have read it back then, I don't remember, so I'm reading it (again?). And then....hmm....perhaps Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress? It's nice and short...and I'm such a sucker for interesting titles like that.