The Arrival

Here's a graphic novel that I bought quite a while ago when Borders went out of business. I finally got a chance to read it tonight.

Title: The Arrival
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic
Date: 2006
Writer: Shaun Tan
Artist: Shaun Tan

In Shaun Tan's graphic novel about immigration, the reader experiences the strangeness of the immigrant's experience by way of a bizarre and alien world, and a wordless story.

The effect is perfect. While there are clear parallels with the historical experiences of the immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in New Jersey in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Tan makes the destination into a strange and wondrous city that is filled with steampunk-influenced designs and surreal details that fill every page.

The story actually contains the stories of several immigrants who meet up with the main character as he tried to find his way in the alien city. He has left his wife and daughter behind while he goes to look for work, and he meets other migrants who are fleeing war and disaster and poverty in their homes.

Telling the story with no narration or dialogue, Tan takes the time to let the tale breathe. He fills a page with small panels of cloud formations to mark the passage of time on an ocean voyage. He allows his main character to explore his new quarters, and to struggle to be understood in a land where his language is not spoken.

The artwork is breathtaking, and I loved all of the odd details. There is a lot going on here, but the overall story is straightforward and effective.

This was one of the best graphic novels I've read in quite a while.

Rating: 9.5/10