Topherlytle
Orbital is not a book for those seeking the usual tenants of a novel. There's no action, mystery, dragons, murder, or sex, none of the conventional hooks that tend to drive popular fiction, and honestly, I think it's better for it.
The book follows a small group of astronauts as they orbit the Earth, offering observations, lists, musings, and a few brief but meaningful interactions. It's more meditative than narrative. This is a slim book, but it's not one to rush through. The author writes poetically, inviting the reader to slow down and contemplate on the idea of perspective, on how things are, how they might have been, how they could possibly be.
Some readers will likely hate this book. For some, it may be because they expected something different, or simply don't care for the writing. Others might reject it because they've turned it into a political statement in their own minds. Still others may dislike it because it dwells in ambiguity, or because they've never experienced the quiet joy of sitting alone, wrapped in wonder, thinking deeply about what they've just read. If I'm honest, there are plenty of reasons not to like this book, but I suspect most of them have more to do with what we, as readers, bring to it than with the book itself.
To those readers, I say: reread it. Give it another chance. Read one orbit at a time and let yourself dwell in it. Maybe read it outdoors. Read it slowly, one orbit a week even, and allow yourself space to look at the world a little differently.
I truly believe that most readers, if they allow themselves to slow down with this book and engage with its themes, even in disagreement, will find much more to like than to dislike.
Orbital is not a book for those seeking the usual tenants of a novel. There's no action, mystery, dragons, murder, or sex, none of the conventional hooks that tend to drive popular fiction, and honestly, I think it's better for it.
The book follows a small group of astronauts as they orbit the Earth, offering observations, lists, musings, and a few brief but meaningful interactions. It's more meditative than narrative. This is a slim book, but it's not one to rush through. The author writes poetically, inviting the reader to slow down and contemplate on the idea of perspective, on how things are, how they might have been, how they could possibly be.
Some readers will likely hate this book. For some, it may be because they expected something different, or simply don't care for the writing. Others might reject it because they've turned it into a political statement in their own minds. Still others may dislike it because it dwells in ambiguity, or because they've never experienced the quiet joy of sitting alone, wrapped in wonder, thinking deeply about what they've just read. If I'm honest, there are plenty of reasons not to like this book, but I suspect most of them have more to do with what we, as readers, bring to it than with the book itself.
To those readers, I say: reread it. Give it another chance. Read one orbit at a time and let yourself dwell in it. Maybe read it outdoors. Read it slowly, one orbit a week even, and allow yourself space to look at the world a little differently.
I truly believe that most readers, if they allow themselves to slow down with this book and engage with its themes, even in disagreement, will find much more to like than to dislike.