Book Club: Read ‘Orbital,' by Samantha Harvey, With the Book Review
I have a confession: I've never been that excited about space. It's not that I dislike it; I've just never been able to fully grasp it, with all its vastness and mystery. Intellectually, I recognize that it is fearsome and awe-inspiring, but emotionally, I've never felt it.
Until I read 'Orbital,' by Samantha Harvey.
The novel, which won the Booker Prize last year, has a tight, poetic frame: We follow one day in the lives of six people working on a space station above Earth, orbiting the planet 16 times every 24 hours. But this is not a saga of adventure or exploration. It's a quiet meditation on what it means to be human, prompted by a series of personal reckonings each character faces while floating 250 miles above their home.
Space unlocks something in these characters as they look back on the planet from orbit and reflect on life's difficulties — and witnessing that made me cherish Earth a little bit more and unlocked in me a deeper appreciation of the cosmos too.
I hope it'll unlock something in you, too. In February, the Book Review Book Club will read and discuss 'Orbital,' by Samantha Harvey. We'll be chatting about the book on the Book Review podcast that airs on Feb. 28, and we'd love for you to join the conversation. Share your thoughts about the novel in the comments section of this article by Feb. 17, and we may mention your observations in the episode.
Here's some related reading to get you started:
We can't wait to discuss the book with you. In the meantime, happy reading!
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