Scholarship student Haruhi breaks an expensive vase, and the Host Club forces her to work to repay her debt. From there, hilarity and insanity ensue! When I read this in high school, I didn't like it all that much. In college, I watched the anime and now I can appreciate the series for all of its shoujo- and gender-stereotype-bending. 
 While I can't say I love the art, it has definitely improved since the first volumes. The massive eyes have shrunk to a much more reasonable size!