Not at all subtle, will club you over the head with the moral of the story. Really nice illustrations, though. ( )

Shaun Tan’s Tales from the Inner City is a wonderful compilation of short stories, poetry, and art. There is at least one original art piece from Tan illustrating each tale, regardless of format. Each story takes a focus on a different animal and the relationship humanity has, and has had, with that species. The author draws on both humanity’s interactions and comparisons with these animals in exploring our relationship. Tan beautifully employs magical realism in his painting of modern life blending with magical, fantastical elements to illustrate the profound thoughts which arise with this topic.

”In the cool brain of a crocodile the city is just a waiting room: the biggest of all waiting rooms, rising up through an age with which they have no account, no appointment, and to which they owe no attention.”

The book begins with a “Table” of contents that is set up with an illustration of each animal that appears and on what page their story begins. This same image shows up at the beginning of each story, already giving you a visual clue of which animal this story is going to feature. At the end of each tale, or at times dispersed throughout poems, are such vividly detailed and expressive illustrations that they not only drive home the thoughts that have been swimming around while reading, but add something even more in the finality of each tale.

I read through this one fairly quickly, nearly finishing it in one sitting. However, I can see how it would also work well as a book that you pick up and read one or two tales from every now and then. Or, a book that you keep coming back to, re reading for the beauty of it and also to pick up on new thoughts. I have already gone back and re read a few of them myself.

”And for the briefest of moments, faces and palms to the sky, we did not ask why. The chatter in our heads fell silent, the endless ticker tape of voice-over narrative, always prying things apart for cause and effect, sign and symbol, some kind of useful meaning or value or portent— it all just stopped, and the butterflies came to us.”

At times depressing, yet hopeful in turns, in its honesty on our relationship with other animals, Shaun Tan’s Tales from the Inner City is sure to evoke many and varying emotions. And perhaps above all else, it reminds to look for our reflections in and impressions upon other living creatures and our environments.

”Ours was not the only fiscal system in the world, it turned out. And worse, our debt was severe beyond reckoning. And worse than worse, all the capital we had accrued throughout history was a collective figment is the human imagination: every asset, stock, and dollar. We owned nothing.” ( )

Il disegno più bello: l'ippopotamo a pagina 148.

Gli animali del mondo esistono
per ragioni tutte loro.

(pag. 9)

Alice Walker

Il nastro infinito del resoconto narrato da una voce fuori campo, sempre intento a curiosare alla ricerca di cause ed effetti, segni e simboli, significati, valori o prodigi utili, si fermò completamente e le farfalle vennero a noi.
(pag. 17-8)

Fino a quel momento il gufo non lascerà mai il mio fianco.
Mi accarezzerà nell'unico modo che conosce,
con gli artigli, le piume e gli sguardi
e ogni volta che mi rivolgerò a lui spaventato
mi rivolgerò con gioia,
perché i gufi non sbagliano mai.
(pag, 127)

Ma a differenza della tigre, che sa nel profondo del suo cuore che le strisce sono la cosa migliore del mondo e non penserebbe mai di mettere in dubbio il proprio aspetto in nessuna circostanza, nemmeno se significasse morire, gli umani non sono così sicuri di queste cose.
(pag. 169)

Oh, quella canzone! Ci arrampichiamo sul crinale e lo vediamo, un fiume di luce proveniente dai ghiacciai che si muove lentamente da est a ovest, e veloci veloci veloci corriamo sulle pietre frastagliate per unirci al coro, i piedi nudi leggeri come l'aria.
(227)

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

(Tracy Chapman) ( )

This book from renowned illustrator Shaun Tan is a collection of surreal fantasy stories about unlikely interactions between animals and humans in the city. Crocodiles living in a penthouse, children angling for moon fish in the night sky and a corporate board turning into frogs are just some of the scenarios that Tan conjures up from his imagination.

The illustrations are beautiful, as is much of the prose, but I have to confess that this book did not connect with me. I thought Tan's stories were a bit too overdone and precious and few of them had sufficient plot or character development to involve an adult reader. Which would be fine, except that I think the flowery language of this book would not appeal much to most children either. It is, in the end, a beautiful collection of stories that falls between the cracks. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/UlbZA5yLBJc

Enjoy! ( )