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bengriffin's review against another edition
4.0
An adorable little book full of beautiful illustrations and a story that radiates warmth. The binding is perfect, the detail is amazing, and the last page is wonderful. It's such a concentrated blast of loveliness that it's hard not to recommend it.
littlerah's review against another edition
5.0
I should’ve bought every single Shaun Tan book that I saw at Clunes Booktown. This is an odd and charming read much like all of Tan’s work and I love it just the same.
”It must be a cultural thing.”
Eric is an exchange student who sleeps in the pantry. Each illustration and sentence is chosen wisely as Tan showcases difference and the importance of small things. It shows an outside perspective from a narrator trying to understand is honestly just beautiful.
I cried a little at the end and am honestly warmed by this book. Pay attention to detail and to person. Learn more about the people and world around you. Perspective is important. I love this.
”It must be a cultural thing.”
Eric is an exchange student who sleeps in the pantry. Each illustration and sentence is chosen wisely as Tan showcases difference and the importance of small things. It shows an outside perspective from a narrator trying to understand is honestly just beautiful.
I cried a little at the end and am honestly warmed by this book. Pay attention to detail and to person. Learn more about the people and world around you. Perspective is important. I love this.
librarianryan's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was interesting but hard to describe. Eric is a foreign exchange student who comes to live with a family for a short while. The family does what they can to make him feel welcome and give him a memorable experience. But they are not sure they are successful. Even after he is gone, all they know is “it’s a culture thing”. I like this book, but I can not really say why. I love the illustrations, which are simple in color, and complex in execution. The story leaves me with many questions that are hard to articulate. I have a wonderful wondering sensation leftover from this reading that I think many should experience for themselves.
kindredbooks's review
5.0
I received an e-galley of this book from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Eric by Shaun Tan is a story that makes you look closely at the pictures and think about what’s really happening. I think the way it started was already a great indication of perspective - the young narrator’s view of Eric, the foreign exchange student, is quite foreign indeed. Appearing to be quite small and more creature than human, Eric quickly assimilates when the host family is unable to pronounce his name, allowing them to call him Eric. Little microagressions occur throughout the book as Eric stays with the family for awhile and disappears without a word. The family is unable to understand this but when they stumble upon what Eric left for them, they are able to perhaps truly understand how it may have been a “cultural thing” that they probably could have tried harder to embrace.
Truly thought provoking and beautiful in its simplicity. Shaun Tan is a visual storyteller that I’m more curious about. I understand that Eric is one of many stories to appear in Shaun Tan’s collection and I will definitely be looking into that.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the book.
Eric by Shaun Tan is a story that makes you look closely at the pictures and think about what’s really happening. I think the way it started was already a great indication of perspective - the young narrator’s view of Eric, the foreign exchange student, is quite foreign indeed. Appearing to be quite small and more creature than human, Eric quickly assimilates when the host family is unable to pronounce his name, allowing them to call him Eric. Little microagressions occur throughout the book as Eric stays with the family for awhile and disappears without a word. The family is unable to understand this but when they stumble upon what Eric left for them, they are able to perhaps truly understand how it may have been a “cultural thing” that they probably could have tried harder to embrace.
Truly thought provoking and beautiful in its simplicity. Shaun Tan is a visual storyteller that I’m more curious about. I understand that Eric is one of many stories to appear in Shaun Tan’s collection and I will definitely be looking into that.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the book.
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