Product Description

What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown. This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1619 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

Review

...a remarkable and skilful work of art.

(Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times )

This book should be 'read' by adults and children alike. It's astonishing.    

(Marilyn Brocklehurst, Norfolk Children's Book Centre )

With this haunting, wordless sequence about a lonely emigrant in a bewildering city, Tan ... finds in the graphic novel format an ideal outlet for his sublime imagination.... few will remain unaffected by this timeless stunner.

(Publishers Weekly )

Filled with both subtlety and grandeur, the book is a unique work that not only fulfills but also expands the potential of its form.

(Booklist )

 ...an unashamed paean to the immigrant’s spirit, tenacity and guts, perfectly crafted for maximum effect.

(Kirkus Reviews )

Tan's lovingly laid out and masterfully rendered tale about the immigrant experience is a documentary magically told by way of Surrealism.

(Art Spiegelman, author of Maus: A Survivor’s Tale )

 The Arrival is an absolute wonder. It’s not often you see art of this quality, or a book that’s so brave.

(Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis and Embroideries )

Shaun Tan delivers a shockingly imaginative graphic novel that captures the sense of adventure and wonder that surrounds a new arrival on the shores of a shining new city... The Arrival is one of the best graphic novels of the year!

(Jeff Smith, author of Bone )

 Entirely wordless, but brimming with sounds and conversations in foreign tongues, Shaun Tan’s book emanates the warmth of faded photographs...

(Craig Thompson, author of Blankets )

The Arrival is beautiful... The drawings are just so lovely, endlessly detailed and wonderfully strange. And the design of the book, with it’s wrinkled pages and stains and broken leather is marvellous.

(Brian Selznick, author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret )

 Anyone who thinks that the graphic novel is no more than a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon, ought to take a look at "The Arrival." This magnificent work not only establishes itself in a major new literary genre but raises the stakes for anyone seriously considering working in it.

(David Small, Caldecott Medalist for So You Want To Be President? )

Shaun Tan's artwork creates a fantastical, hauntingly familiar atmosphere. A strange, moving, and beautiful story.

(Jon J Muth, author of Zen Shorts and illustrator of Sandman )

Shaun Tan’s The Arrival may be the most brilliant book of the year’ 

(School Library journal )

This book should be 'read' by adults and children alike. It's astonishing. 

(Bookseller )

It will fascinate and occupy adults and children alike

(The Observer )

A powerful, at times harrowing read, Tan's creation is a major achievement. 

(Books for Keeps )

The reader's experience, as he or she tries to make sense of the unfamiliar scenes and strange images, parallels that of the emigrant, striving to understand without the aid of language. This extraordinarily accomplished pieces of storytelling can be read and understood on many different levels. 

(The Guardian )

The surreal, sepia illustrations in th is remarkable book invite repeated study. Strangely beautiful and frightening, you can spend hours searching for hidden meanings and extra stories. 

(Carousel )

A true marvel on any bookshelf, a unique piece of at and a beautifully told story.

(School Librarian )

'a brilliant wordless story of a migrant arriving in a strange, indecipherable city.'

(Anthony Browne, The Telegraph )

Sited as No 35 in The Times 100 Best Books of all time.

(The Times )

About the Author
Shaun Tan is the author and illustrator of The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, both of which have won international awards such as the Honourable Mention in the BolognaRagazzi Prices, were CBCA Honour Books and have been widely translated. Previous books Shaun has illustrated include The Rabbits by John Marsden (CBCA Picture Book of the Year) and with Gary Crew, Memorial (A CBCA Honour Book) and The Viewer (winner of the Crichton Award for illustration). In 2001 Shaun received the 'World Fantasy Best Artist Award' for his body of work.

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Customer Reviews

A remarkable achievement
I would recommend this book on the strength and beauty of the drawings alone, but I am happy to say that it also tells a moving, compelling story. It captures well that first encounter with a new country, the "arrival" when one is geting to know a new place, new language, new foods and trying to make sense of it all. Is this world safer than the one you've left behind? What dangers forced you to leave?

Through using elements of fantasy, it avoids an easy exoticism and prevents us from patronising the main characters -- we don't understand this world either, can't read its language, don't recognise its animals or know how its machines work. We aren't sure what is safe and what is not. We would like to believe the world is benign, but we don't know, and there seem infinite possiblities for things to go wrong. In this tension, it also captures the importance of the kindness of strangers and of fellow immigrants, whose sometimes painful back-stories are conveyed beautifully and concisely in one or two pages of images.

All this, without the use of words. A remarkable achievement.

I am an immigrant by choice, not necessity (as are many of the characters in this story), but I know what I will be giving my friends and relatives for years to come.

Our world through strangers' eyes
Leave those you love behind to face a fearful future. Arrive in a bewildering place - strange and uncaring. Slowly friendly strangers help you move around, make sense of bizarre food, and begin to make sense of this place. Every good person has tale to tell. Most have beautiful surreal pets too. A testament to one of the bravest acts of humanity - to leave everything behind and seek a future for you and your family in another world.

Shaun Tan has produced another work that combines the surreal with profound human experience. This is more clearly aimed at a older audience - some adults found the 'picture book' format a barrier to engaging with 'The Red Tree'. The artwork and presentation is beautifully done - the paper is detailed like aged documents - spots of mould or cracks where a picture has been kept in a pocket - give a feel of a treasured scrapbook of life-changing moments.

The book is wordless - and unlike his previous works, has many smaller drawings (some can be seen at his website). They are all pencilled with subtle colours added, giving a more sombre feel that previous works, but the story and his wonderful details quickly capture your full attention.

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A Brilliant novel.
While it doesn't take long to "read", its artwork is just so captivating. The reason I put read in quotes is that there aren't any words, just pictures. But the artwork that is there, is just outstanding. You could take forever just engrossed in the beautiful artwork that is inside of this book. The story that is told through this artwork is really great. Its basically the story of a man who travels to a new place and is dependent on the kindness of strangers. All in all, a great story that everyone should take a look at. May I also recommend The Fates by Tino Georgiou. A Brilliant novel.