The Arrival!!!!

Shaun Tan’s the arrival was a singularly refreshing piece of literature. The most immediately noticeable trait of the book is that there are no words, at least no words that can be interpreted by the reader. This fact leads to what I found the books most appealing characteristic; while using no comprehensible written language, Tan flawlessly communicates a complex and endearing story of life experiences.

I was continually surprised by how successfully Tan communicated any theme, emotion, or experience, however intangible or nuanced it was. Adding to my awe was the fact that the book’s illustrations flowed more like a well edited movie than a novel or comic. The still images conveyed a smooth and readable progression of time, with sequential images giving the stills an animated quality. As well as a pleasing flow of time and sequence, Tan employed skilled transition techniques and appealing compositional elements. Tan communicates with incredible efficiency; little time is wasted by the reader finding where we are supposed to be looking, or discerning what is happening on a given frame.

Several scenes in particular stick out in my mind. When the traveler reaches the new land, he goes through the steps necessary to immigrate into this new local. I was fascinated by the interview scene, that Tan could communicate such an action using no written language yet soever. I have to wonder the amount of reference and studies Tan underwent on human movement, emotion, and aesthetics to so accurately and efficiently pin down each frame.

Another scene which impressed me was the cloud scene. This sequence was impressive to me less on a technical level, and more from a conceptual standpoint. I found this a tremendously original and effective means of communicating the passage of time. I was delighted with the originality of this shot, and others/

Aside from the impressive technical and conceptual aspects of this book, I found the story, interplay of different characters, and original creatures and environments absolutely delightful. This book took me to a different world, one that I've never seen before in film, literature, or games. This world was fresh and appealing to me, offering as many new surprises to me as it offered to the emigrant. The book did not exists solely to deliver a change of geography, however. The interweaving stories of the different immigrants was a poignant display of human struggles, joy, and friendships, and I'm thankful that Tan succeeded in imbuing depth as well as charm into his masterpiece.