The Arrival

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I was deeply impressed with Shaun Tan's graphic novel, The Arrival. Tan is interested in the concept of belonging - and this book is about the way we come to belong to a new culture. The Arrival is a classic immigrant's tale - a man leaves his family to make a home in a new country, but the way that Tan chose to tell the story makes it unique. This new country is a strange and wonderful place, as foreign to the reader as it is to the protagonist. Its architecture, animals and food are outlandish and this lets you feel the wonder and puzzlement of a newly arrived foreigner. In addition to this, the story is completely wordless, which furthers the estrangement.

Without the help of words, Tan must concentrate on detailed and consistent storytelling through images. Here is the Man, our protagonist, on his first arrival, trying to explain himself to a customs official:

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Tan focuses on the minuscule, deconstructing the smallest actions into whole sequences. Each tiny gesture counts. Here is how the passage of the seasons is illustrated in a whole spread:

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But then, Tan will, from these detailed observations, open up a vast, breathtaking full-spread panel:

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One of my favourite things about the book is the abundance of fantastical creatures. Everyone has their own, crazy little pet.

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The Arrival demonstrates that you can take the most simple story and turn it into something rich and moving and, well, great, if you know how to tell it well.

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You can read what Shaun Tan has to say about this book on his own website, which also features more of his work.