The Arrival
by Shaun Tan
August 16th
After finishing Variant last night, I needed something peaceful to read. Not sure if this qualifies, but Graphic Novels feel quiet to me.
I was attracted to this book because of two things. First was the size, it is large and looks like it would be a picture book, but it belongs in the YA section of my library - so I was intrigued. The second thing that pulled me in was the cover. Not only is the cover art obviously fascinating, but the way they make the brand new book look a hundred years old is pretty awesome
I'm only one "chapter" in and I already feel connected with the characters, which means that the author/illustrator was doing his job. As someone who doesn't enjoy a lot of graphic novels, I like it when the characters pull me in from the first page.
More updates to come, as long as I can read for a bit before falling asleep, I should be able to finish it this evening :)
Let me leave you with a picture from chapter one while I keep reading :)
August 17th
So, I'm loving the book ... but I'm not sure I understand all of it. It needs Cliff's Notes :) However ... I think what we are seeing is how foreign things feel to someone who migrates into a country. The art in this book is truly phenomenal! What a great book to pull pages from and frame them!
I'm not quite finished, but it really is good. The emotion in the pictures is so vivid that I do not miss the words that should accompany the art. Brilliant all the way around. I look forward to finishing it tonight.
