diff --git a/MatFileHandler.Tests/MatFileReaderHdfTests.cs b/MatFileHandler.Tests/MatFileReaderHdfTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cdf2085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MatFileHandler.Tests/MatFileReaderHdfTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using System.IO;
+
+namespace MatFileHandler.Tests
+{
+    [TestFixture]
+    public class MatFileReaderHdfTests
+    {
+        private const string TestDirectory = "test-data";
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Test reading an ASCII-encoded string.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Test]
+        public void TestAscii()
+        {
+            var matFile = ReadHdfTestFile("ascii");
+            var arrayAscii = matFile["s"].Value as ICharArray;
+            Assert.That(arrayAscii, Is.Not.Null);
+            Assert.That(arrayAscii.Dimensions, Is.EqualTo(new[] { 1, 3 }));
+            Assert.That(arrayAscii.String, Is.EqualTo("abc"));
+            Assert.That(arrayAscii[2], Is.EqualTo('c'));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Test reading a Unicode string.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Test]
+        public void TestUnicode()
+        {
+            var matFile = ReadHdfTestFile("unicode");
+            var arrayUnicode = matFile["s"].Value as ICharArray;
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicode, Is.Not.Null);
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicode.Dimensions, Is.EqualTo(new[] { 1, 2 }));
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicode.String, Is.EqualTo("必フ"));
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicode[0], Is.EqualTo('必'));
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicode[1], Is.EqualTo('フ'));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Test reading a wide Unicode string.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Test]
+        public void TestUnicodeWide()
+        {
+            var matFile = ReadHdfTestFile("unicode-wide");
+            var arrayUnicodeWide = matFile["s"].Value as ICharArray;
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicodeWide, Is.Not.Null);
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicodeWide.Dimensions, Is.EqualTo(new[] { 1, 2 }));
+            Assert.That(arrayUnicodeWide.String, Is.EqualTo("🍆"));
+        }
+
+        private static AbstractTestDataFactory<IMatFile> GetTests(string factoryName) =>
+            new MatTestDataFactory(Path.Combine(TestDirectory, factoryName));
+
+        private IMatFile ReadHdfTestFile(string testName)
+        {
+            return GetTests("hdf")[testName];
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/ascii.mat b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/ascii.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bf17a7
Binary files /dev/null and b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/ascii.mat differ
diff --git a/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode-wide.mat b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode-wide.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6eaacd7
Binary files /dev/null and b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode-wide.mat differ
diff --git a/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode.mat b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode.mat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4583d5
Binary files /dev/null and b/MatFileHandler.Tests/test-data/hdf/unicode.mat differ
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/HdfFileReader.cs b/MatFileHandler/HdfFileReader.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..512535b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MatFileHandler/HdfFileReader.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Numerics;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Text;
+using HDF.PInvoke;
+
+namespace MatFileHandler
+{
+    public class HdfCharArray : ICharArray
+    {
+        public HdfCharArray(int[] dimensions, string data)
+        {
+            Dimensions = dimensions;
+            StringData = data;
+        }
+
+        public bool IsEmpty => Dimensions.Length == 0;
+
+        public int[] Dimensions { get; }
+
+        public int Count => Dimensions.NumberOfElements();
+
+        public double[] ConvertToDoubleArray()
+        {
+            return Data.Select(Convert.ToDouble).ToArray();
+        }
+
+        public Complex[] ConvertToComplexArray()
+        {
+            return ConvertToDoubleArray().Select(x => new Complex(x, 0.0)).ToArray();
+        }
+
+        public char[] Data => StringData.ToCharArray();
+
+        public char this[params int[] list]
+        {
+            get => StringData[Dimensions.DimFlatten(list)];
+            set {
+                var chars = StringData.ToCharArray();
+                chars[Dimensions.DimFlatten(list)] = value;
+                StringData = chars.ToString();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public string String => StringData;
+
+        private string StringData { get; set; }
+    }
+
+    internal class HdfFileReader
+    {
+        private long fileId;
+
+        private List<IVariable> variables;
+
+        internal HdfFileReader(long fileId)
+        {
+            this.fileId = fileId;
+        }
+
+        internal IMatFile Read()
+        {
+            variables = new List<IVariable>();
+            H5G.info_t group_info = default(H5G.info_t);
+            var result = H5G.get_info(fileId, ref group_info);
+            var numberOfVariables = group_info.nlinks;
+
+            ulong idx = 0;
+            while (idx < numberOfVariables)
+            {
+                H5L.iterate(
+                    fileId,
+                    H5.index_t.NAME,
+                    H5.iter_order_t.NATIVE,
+                    ref idx,
+                    VariableIterator,
+                    IntPtr.Zero);
+            }
+            return new MatFile(variables);
+        }
+
+        private int VariableIterator(long group, IntPtr name, ref H5L.info_t info, IntPtr op_data)
+        {
+            var variableName = Marshal.PtrToStringAnsi(name);
+            var object_info = default(H5O.info_t);
+            H5O.get_info_by_name(group, variableName, ref object_info);
+            switch (object_info.type)
+            {
+                case H5O.type_t.DATASET:
+                    var datasetId = H5D.open(group, variableName);
+                    var value = ReadDataset(datasetId);
+                    variables.Add(new MatVariable(value, variableName, false));
+                    break;
+                case H5O.type_t.GROUP:
+                    throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        private static string GetMatlabClassOfDataset(long datasetId)
+        {
+            var attributeId = H5A.open_by_name(datasetId, ".", "MATLAB_class");
+
+            var typeId = H5A.get_type(attributeId);
+            var cl = H5T.get_class(typeId);
+            if (cl != H5T.class_t.STRING)
+            {
+                throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+            var classId = H5T.copy(H5T.C_S1);
+            var typeIdSize = H5T.get_size(typeId);
+            H5T.set_size(classId, typeIdSize);
+            var buf = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(typeIdSize);
+            H5A.read(attributeId, classId, buf);
+            var matlabClassNameBytes = new byte[(int)typeIdSize];
+            Marshal.Copy(buf, matlabClassNameBytes, 0, (int)typeIdSize);
+            return Encoding.ASCII.GetString(matlabClassNameBytes);
+        }
+
+        private static int[] GetDimensionsOfDataset(long datasetId)
+        {
+            var spaceId = H5D.get_space(datasetId);
+            var rank = H5S.get_simple_extent_ndims(spaceId);
+            var dims = new ulong[rank];
+            H5S.get_simple_extent_dims(spaceId, dims, null);
+            Array.Reverse(dims);
+            return dims.Select(x => (int)x).ToArray();
+        }
+
+        private static IArray ReadDataset(long datasetId)
+        {
+            var dims = GetDimensionsOfDataset(datasetId);
+
+            var matlabClass = GetMatlabClassOfDataset(datasetId);
+
+            if (matlabClass == "char")
+            {
+                return ReadCharArray(datasetId, dims);
+            }
+            throw new NotImplementedException();
+        }
+
+        private static IArray ReadCharArray(long datasetId, int[] dims)
+        {
+            var storageSize = (int)H5D.get_storage_size(datasetId);
+            var data = new byte[storageSize];
+            var dataBuffer = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(storageSize);
+            H5D.read(datasetId, H5T.NATIVE_UINT16, H5S.ALL, H5S.ALL, H5P.DEFAULT, dataBuffer);
+            Marshal.Copy(dataBuffer, data, 0, storageSize);
+            var str = Encoding.Unicode.GetString(data);
+            return new HdfCharArray(dims, str);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/Header.cs b/MatFileHandler/Header.cs
index 06b68ce..0e7db2b 100755
--- a/MatFileHandler/Header.cs
+++ b/MatFileHandler/Header.cs
@@ -13,13 +13,16 @@ namespace MatFileHandler
     /// </summary>
     internal class Header
     {
-        private Header(string text, long subsystemDataOffset, int version)
+        private Header(byte[] rawBytes, string text, long subsystemDataOffset, int version)
         {
+            RawBytes = rawBytes;
             Text = text;
             SubsystemDataOffset = subsystemDataOffset;
             Version = version;
         }
 
+        public byte[] RawBytes { get; }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the header text.
         /// </summary>
@@ -55,7 +58,7 @@ namespace MatFileHandler
                 platform = platform.Remove(length);
             }
             var text = $"MATLAB 5.0 MAT-file, Platform: {platform}, Created on: {dateTime}{padding}";
-            return new Header(text, 0, 256);
+            return new Header(null, text, 0, 256);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -65,18 +68,26 @@ namespace MatFileHandler
         /// <returns>The header read.</returns>
         public static Header Read(BinaryReader reader)
         {
-            var textBytes = reader.ReadBytes(116);
-            var text = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(textBytes);
-            var subsystemDataOffsetBytes = reader.ReadBytes(8);
-            var subsystemDataOffset = BitConverter.ToInt64(subsystemDataOffsetBytes, 0);
-            var version = reader.ReadInt16();
-            var endian = reader.ReadInt16();
-            var isLittleEndian = endian == 19785;
-            if (!isLittleEndian)
+            var rawBytes = reader.ReadBytes(128);
+            using (var stream = new MemoryStream(rawBytes))
             {
-                throw new NotSupportedException("Big-endian files are not supported.");
+                using (var newReader = new BinaryReader(stream))
+                {
+                    var textBytes = newReader.ReadBytes(116);
+                    var text = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(textBytes);
+                    var subsystemDataOffsetBytes = newReader.ReadBytes(8);
+                    var subsystemDataOffset = BitConverter.ToInt64(subsystemDataOffsetBytes, 0);
+                    var version = newReader.ReadInt16();
+                    var endian = newReader.ReadInt16();
+                    var isLittleEndian = endian == 19785;
+                    if (!isLittleEndian)
+                    {
+                        throw new NotSupportedException("Big-endian files are not supported.");
+                    }
+
+                    return new Header(rawBytes, text, subsystemDataOffset, version);
+                }
             }
-            return new Header(text, subsystemDataOffset, version);
         }
 
         private static string GetOperatingSystem()
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/MatFileHdfReader.cs b/MatFileHandler/MatFileHdfReader.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..285b75b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MatFileHandler/MatFileHdfReader.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Text;
+using HDF.PInvoke;
+
+namespace MatFileHandler
+{
+    internal static class MatFileHdfReader
+    {
+        internal static IMatFile ContinueReadingHdfFile(Header header, Stream stream)
+        {
+            using (var memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
+            {
+                using (var headerStream = new MemoryStream(header.RawBytes))
+                {
+                    headerStream.CopyTo(memoryStream);
+                }
+                stream.CopyTo(memoryStream);
+                var bytes = memoryStream.ToArray();
+                return ReadFromByteArray(bytes);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static IMatFile ReadFromByteArray(byte[] bytes)
+        {
+            var fileAccessPropertyList = H5P.create(H5P.FILE_ACCESS);
+            H5P.set_fapl_core(fileAccessPropertyList, IntPtr.Add(IntPtr.Zero, 1024), 0);
+            var ptr = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(bytes.Length);
+            Marshal.Copy(bytes, 0, ptr, bytes.Length);
+            H5P.set_file_image(fileAccessPropertyList, ptr, IntPtr.Add(IntPtr.Zero, bytes.Length));
+            var fileId = H5F.open(Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), H5F.ACC_RDONLY, fileAccessPropertyList);
+            var hdfFileReader = new HdfFileReader(fileId);
+            var result = hdfFileReader.Read();
+            H5F.close(fileId);
+            H5F.clear_elink_file_cache(fileId);
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/MatFileLevel5Reader.cs b/MatFileHandler/MatFileLevel5Reader.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc7a81e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MatFileHandler/MatFileLevel5Reader.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+
+namespace MatFileHandler
+{
+    internal static class MatFileLevel5Reader
+    {
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Read a sequence of raw variables from .mat file.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="reader">Reader.</param>
+        /// <param name="subsystemDataOffset">Offset of subsystem data in the file;
+        /// we need it because we may encounter it during reading, and
+        /// the subsystem data should be parsed in a special way.</param>
+        /// <param name="subsystemData">
+        /// Link to the current file's subsystem data structure; initially it has dummy value
+        /// which will be replaced after we parse the whole subsystem data.</param>
+        /// <returns>List of "raw" variables; the actual variables are constructed from them later.</returns>
+        internal static List<RawVariable> ReadRawVariables(BinaryReader reader, long subsystemDataOffset, SubsystemData subsystemData)
+        {
+            var variables = new List<RawVariable>();
+            var dataElementReader = new DataElementReader(subsystemData);
+            while (true)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    var position = reader.BaseStream.Position;
+                    var dataElement = dataElementReader.Read(reader);
+                    if (position == subsystemDataOffset)
+                    {
+                        var subsystemDataElement = dataElement as IArrayOf<byte>;
+                        var newSubsystemData = ReadSubsystemData(subsystemDataElement.Data, subsystemData);
+                        subsystemData.Set(newSubsystemData);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        variables.Add(new RawVariable(position, dataElement));
+                    }
+                }
+                catch (EndOfStreamException)
+                {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+
+            return variables;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Read raw variables from a .mat file.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="reader">Binary reader.</param>
+        /// <param name="subsystemDataOffset">Offset to the subsystem data to use (read from the file header).</param>
+        /// <returns>Raw variables read.</returns>
+        internal static List<RawVariable> ReadRawVariables(BinaryReader reader, long subsystemDataOffset)
+        {
+            var subsystemData = new SubsystemData();
+            return ReadRawVariables(reader, subsystemDataOffset, subsystemData);
+        }
+
+        internal static IMatFile ContinueReadingLevel5File(Header header, BinaryReader reader)
+        {
+            var rawVariables = ReadRawVariables(reader, header.SubsystemDataOffset);
+            var variables = new List<IVariable>();
+            foreach (var variable in rawVariables)
+            {
+                var array = variable.DataElement as MatArray;
+                if (array is null)
+                {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                variables.Add(new MatVariable(
+                    array,
+                    array.Name,
+                    array.Flags.Variable.HasFlag(Variable.IsGlobal)));
+            }
+
+            return new MatFile(variables);
+        }
+
+        private static SubsystemData ReadSubsystemData(byte[] bytes, SubsystemData subsystemData)
+        {
+            return SubsystemDataReader.Read(bytes, subsystemData);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/MatFileReader.cs b/MatFileHandler/MatFileReader.cs
index 0050272..9a1b77e 100755
--- a/MatFileHandler/MatFileReader.cs
+++ b/MatFileHandler/MatFileReader.cs
@@ -34,89 +34,23 @@ namespace MatFileHandler
             }
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Read a sequence of raw variables from .mat file.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="reader">Reader.</param>
-        /// <param name="subsystemDataOffset">Offset of subsystem data in the file;
-        /// we need it because we may encounter it during reading, and
-        /// the subsystem data should be parsed in a special way.</param>
-        /// <param name="subsystemData">
-        /// Link to the current file's subsystem data structure; initially it has dummy value
-        /// which will be replaced after we parse the whole subsystem data.</param>
-        /// <returns>List of "raw" variables; the actual variables are constructed from them later.</returns>
-        internal static List<RawVariable> ReadRawVariables(BinaryReader reader, long subsystemDataOffset, SubsystemData subsystemData)
-        {
-            var variables = new List<RawVariable>();
-            var dataElementReader = new DataElementReader(subsystemData);
-            while (true)
-            {
-                try
-                {
-                    var position = reader.BaseStream.Position;
-                    var dataElement = dataElementReader.Read(reader);
-                    if (position == subsystemDataOffset)
-                    {
-                        var subsystemDataElement = dataElement as IArrayOf<byte>;
-                        var newSubsystemData = ReadSubsystemData(subsystemDataElement.Data, subsystemData);
-                        subsystemData.Set(newSubsystemData);
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        variables.Add(new RawVariable(position, dataElement));
-                    }
-                }
-                catch (EndOfStreamException)
-                {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-
-            return variables;
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Read raw variables from a .mat file.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="reader">Binary reader.</param>
-        /// <param name="subsystemDataOffset">Offset to the subsystem data to use (read from the file header).</param>
-        /// <returns>Raw variables read.</returns>
-        internal static List<RawVariable> ReadRawVariables(BinaryReader reader, long subsystemDataOffset)
-        {
-            var subsystemData = new SubsystemData();
-            return ReadRawVariables(reader, subsystemDataOffset, subsystemData);
-        }
-
-        private static IMatFile Read(BinaryReader reader)
+        private IMatFile Read(BinaryReader reader)
         {
             var header = ReadHeader(reader);
-            var rawVariables = ReadRawVariables(reader, header.SubsystemDataOffset);
-            var variables = new List<IVariable>();
-            foreach (var variable in rawVariables)
+            switch (header.Version)
             {
-                var array = variable.DataElement as MatArray;
-                if (array is null)
-                {
-                    continue;
-                }
-
-                variables.Add(new MatVariable(
-                    array,
-                    array.Name,
-                    array.Flags.Variable.HasFlag(Variable.IsGlobal)));
+                case 256:
+                    return MatFileLevel5Reader.ContinueReadingLevel5File(header, reader);
+                case 512:
+                    return MatFileHdfReader.ContinueReadingHdfFile(header, reader.BaseStream);
+                default:
+                    throw new NotSupportedException($"Unknown file format.");
             }
-
-            return new MatFile(variables);
         }
 
         private static Header ReadHeader(BinaryReader reader)
         {
             return Header.Read(reader);
         }
-
-        private static SubsystemData ReadSubsystemData(byte[] bytes, SubsystemData subsystemData)
-        {
-            return SubsystemDataReader.Read(bytes, subsystemData);
-        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MatFileHandler/SubsystemDataReader.cs b/MatFileHandler/SubsystemDataReader.cs
index 9b1b6fc..9799549 100644
--- a/MatFileHandler/SubsystemDataReader.cs
+++ b/MatFileHandler/SubsystemDataReader.cs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace MatFileHandler
                 using (var reader = new BinaryReader(stream))
                 {
                     reader.ReadBytes(8);
-                    rawVariables = MatFileReader.ReadRawVariables(reader, -1, subsystemData);
+                    rawVariables = MatFileLevel5Reader.ReadRawVariables(reader, -1, subsystemData);
                 }
             }