An unusual novel, Orbital is a story of astronauts living on board the International Space Station; light on plot, it revolves around each individual’s philosophical musings that are triggered by the fundamentally extraordinary situation they find themselves in – floating in space, orbiting Mother Earth.
The prose is very poetic and lyrical. The observations, memories, and thoughts of the astronauts are interspersed with beautiful descriptions of the earth below – countries, cities, deserts, oceans, storms – and the atmosphere, aurora, the moon, and the stars. It’s amazing how many different adjectives and metaphors Harvey conjures up to produce a visual smorgasbord.
I did find myself waiting for the plot twist but perhaps this book is all the more beautiful for keeping the central thread simple while creating a rich tapestry all around.
