The Arrival by Shaun Tan2006, 128 pages
To be honest, I'm not quite sure how to review this book. I've never delved into the realm of graphic novels before now, and The Arrival isn't exactly your typical graphic novel anyway: told exclusively in pictures, Tan relies on his images to tell his story, rather than words.
Outwardly the story of an immigrant leaving his family behind to move to a new country, Tan mixes the very real feelings of a new immigrant with a fantastical world that contains just enough of reality to be heartbreaking and just enough fantasy to convey the strangeness of arriving in a new country.
Reading a story comprised entirely of pictures was a new experience for me, and it required some effort on my part. At several points I had to skim backwards to really understand the story that was being told, and I hadn't expected the fantasy elements coming in. However, Tan's artwork is amazing and you can see the effort he put into every detail of the story - even two pages devoted entirely to the sky during the protagonist's journey.
I definitely gained something from reading this book, and would recommend it to any fan of graphic novels, but with the proviso that if this is your first exposure to the medim (as it was mine), it might be a bit jarring at first.
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Interesting! I have my first ARC graphic novel coming. We'll have to compare notes once I've had my introduction to the medium as well! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is so interesting - a book with no words at all! The "author" must have an amazing talent at conveying the story through images. I've never picked up a graphic novel, but this has really sparked an interest in me.
ReplyDeleteEmidy
from Une Parole
i've never read a graphic novel myself, sounds like a good one though.
ReplyDeletehttp://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
I like graphic novels. I think I've reviewed five or six over the last two weeks. They are different. This sounds interesting though - I wonder if my boyfriend would like it. I get a little frustrated without the words.
ReplyDeleteI've read a few graphic novels, but not sure how I'd do with no words at all! This looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a different type of graphic novel. Looks interesting!
ReplyDeleteNow you should read Tales From Outer Suburbia! It's just as good and has words to boot. :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Interesting concept I guess. I've never had much success with graphic novels so I might skip this one.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read a graphic novel, and the closest I've been to one is flipping through my daughter's Bone books. I might give this one a shot at some point because I think the idea of telling a story through pictures alone intrigues me.
ReplyDelete--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
The Arrival is one of my favorite books EVER, and you've done a really nice job of explaining how the wordless format pulls you into the story. I read this for the first time soon after a major move to a new place and while my experience was certainly different than that of an immigrant, I saw a bit of my experience in those pages. Very powerful stuff.
ReplyDeleteDana, this was also my very first graphic novel. Without words I thought I could sit down and in a half hour be done with it. Several hours later I still hadn't finished. Without words you really have to spend time with each picture to make sure you are getting out of it what the author intended. A very good book indeed!
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