Orbital

By: Samantha Harvey

Narrated by: Sarah Naudi

Brought to you by Penguin.

**WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024**

Six astronauts rotate in their spacecraft contemplating the world below

A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day.

Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction.

The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part - or protective - of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

'Beautiful in every aspect'
SARAH MOSS, author of Summerwater

'One of the most beautiful novels I have read in a very long time'
MARK HADDON, author of The Porpoise

'One of the UK's most exquisite stylists'
GUARDIAN

‘Awe-inspiring’
Max Porter

©2023 Samantha Harvey (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Our unanimity about Orbital recognises its beauty and ambition. It reflects Harvey’s extraordinary intensity of attention to the precious and precarious world we share (Edmund de Waal, Chair of the 2024 Booker Prize judges)

The uniqueness of this perspective

Don’t expect a storyline per se. It is a description , observations and viewpoints . Truly interesting and refreshing - unique actually . But if you expect a story or a plot line - you will be disappointed.
I loved the descriptions and the author’s ability to transport my mind to a totally new dimension - rich and deep.

Phenomenal read

I loved the myriad and nuanced observations & relatable fallible characters within this refreshingly expansive narrative. Great writing.

Interesting idea ruined by poor delivery and recording

Frustrated by muffled reading, swallowed words, some so badly enunciated they were barely comprehensible . Very disappointing given this is a prize winning book!

Sumptuous and quietly beautiful

The concept, language, visual paintings and slice-of-astronaut-life concept behind this book is so engaging and so differently paced from modern literature. This is a treasure.

Read it for the feelings not for the facts.

Greatly written as a literally art peace, but it will get you very confused if you do not already know a lot of things about space and the space station specifically.

Vivid descriptions. Unique story

A unique story, with memorable characters and vivid language. The story had me intrigued and gripped throughout.

Dull as dishwater

I could not muster any interest in the inner lives, back stories or daily banter of the astronaut characters. Despite their extraordinary achievements, they bored me. Perhaps it was the lack of any unifying storyline.
The one positive feature is that this dullness makes it a good book to listen to when you are trying to fall asleep.