The Arrival
Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007
Graphic Novel – Fantasy Fiction
ISBN-10: 0439895294
128 pages
Synopsis
A story told solely through breathtaking art, Tan paints an imaginatory tale of an immigrant who leaves his family in a dangerous country in order to find work in a new place and save money to bring his family there. In this new and promising land, he discovers new things and meets intriguing people who help him to cope with a foreign place with a language he can neither speak nor read. These people share stories about their own lives and the tragedies they encountered before also journeying to this city. It’s a beautiful tale told through an intricate fantasy world with buildings created in an art-deco style.
Critique
The bar was already high for this book when I ordered it, and even then it far exceeded my expectations. Not only is it a collection of some of the most intricate and beautiful art in this style I’ve ever seen, but the story itself comes to life phenomenally through this medium. Initially I was surprised that there were no words and was slightly skeptical about how in depth the story could go, however, the project communicates an amazing story through each drawing that perhaps words would not have communicated as well.
To my knowledge, this book is one of the first of its kinds, and there’s a great chance it could have been done poorly. Often when a writer or artist experiments with pushing the boundaries of form, the first few iterations aren’t as good as the ones to follow once it’s been perfected. Tan, though, is nothing short of brilliant with this story, and even thought it’s just over 100 pages long, one could spend several hours searching through each intricate detail of every illustration. Plus, despite this taking place in a fantasy world, it’s almost 100% clear that this new city is supposed to represent New York/America and that these are the droves of immigrants who trekked to her teeming shores at the turn of the 20th century. I recommend this to everyone, even if you’re illiterate.
Rating Rubric
Enjoyable Read: Original Fantasy: Original Plot: Art: Asthetics: Depth In Characters: 
Depth In Story: Social Commentary: Layers/Complexity: Classroom Text: Overall Rating:
For the Classroom
This book has so many different classroom applications. Most prominent to me would be a study in form and story in an art class, but many there are many others as well, such as immigration to America at the beginning of the 20th century, art-deco style architecture, social-cultural studies, war, oppressive vs. empowering government structures, and more.
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