Orbital
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Orbital
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Narrated by:
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Sarah Naudi
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By:
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Samantha Harvey
About this listen
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
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What listeners say about Orbital
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Daft Monk
- 14-11-24
Koyaanisqatsi the book (A beautiful failure)
I admire the ambition of this book. I can see why it might win a prize. But for all it's scope and beauty it's characters were too thinly drawn to make me care.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reviewing Things Hey
- 20-06-24
poetic style, hard sci-fi, good background for work, clear narration
ignore other negative reviews above average in every stake, listen to the sample, it's a good story for work, detailed, but no important story elements are missed if you get distracted for a minute, I could listen to this many times over
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Eve
- 21-10-24
Simply magnificent
This is so different to everything else out there, it’s beautiful and awe inspiring. I will read this over and over.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Giselle
- 23-11-24
Beautiful Writing
I purchased the audiobook after the winner was announced. Not really knowing what to expect….I was captivated by the writing. I don’t know how a narrator is chosen for an audiobook but Sarah Naudi was perfect…for me it was an unputdownable listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marc
- 13-09-24
A Beautiful Meditation on Life.
This was a beautifully narrated meditation on life seen from the vantage point of space, looking back at our small fragile planet.
I found myself swept away in my own reverie, sometimes missing the details whilst being conveyed on something that was greater than the sum of it's parts.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PMc
- 17-11-24
Beautiful
Beautifully written story and stories about perspective, pragmatism, hope and sadness. Also nerd stuff.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr Red
- 15-08-24
A beautiful exploration of humanity… from the space station
Gorgeous, satisfying prose and lucid, intelligent writing. Although the action is curtailed and confined, the ideas are unfettered and the collective concerns of the astronauts/cosmonauts encircle the earth with their craft.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Craig Martin Jones
- 07-08-24
Space poetry
This was a beautiful listen.
I enjoyed the back stories for the characters, but wanted to more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mathew
- 17-11-24
Wonderful listen
This was a great book. Sort of familiar, comforting. Like climbing into bed under the duvet on a cold rainy day. It’s not a new story per se, but still a lovely reminder of our collective humanity.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-10-24
Redundant
From the start to the end, the author recycles the same mantra over and over. The Earth and it's problems seems big when you're on it and insignificant when you're not. This isn't as impactful or as enlightening as what I think the author was trying to convey. It's a simple message told simply.
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