no other country

When a family moved to a strange country and checked the floorboards of their old house, they discovered a hole between the rooms that led to an indoor courtyard: the seasons inside were the opposite of those outside, with towering trees and faded murals that were mesmerizing, and strange floral scents wafted in from time to time. They felt that this was impossible to tell anyone about. Until one day, a neighbor casually mentioned, "We barbecue in the indoor courtyard, you know, every household has one, if you can find it..."

This is a collection of short stories. Chinese-Australian artist Shaun Tan uses charcoal drawings, oil paintings, clippings, collages, and other forms to graft fantastical elements onto everyday scenes, combined with dreamlike surreal imagery, to tell 15 thought-provoking short stories. He leads us to discover the incredible secrets hidden in ordinary life. These stories may seem absurd, yet they are full of genuine emotions and reflections. After reading them, one can't help but recall a certain moment in life and realize a feeling that is uniquely one's own. Perhaps it's being attracted by interesting fantasies and playful plots, or perhaps it's feeling a critique and satire of reality, or even reading out love and joy, tolerance and reconciliation, forgetting and remembering... These understated stories reflect the essence of life...