Sign in with Facebook
L.A.'s Reviews > Orbital
Orbital
by
by
This novel is an effigy of human experience; impersonal, phony, and significant only to its creator. Except that effigies are based upon specific people, with their own personalities, histories, prerogatives, and coping mechanisms; and this novel all amalgam and zero meat.
This novel gives cosmic significance to every basic-bitch feeling and feckless thought. It is so vague and impersonal it should have been written in 2nd-person (no offense to 2nd-person, since great writers like Justin Torres can pull this off with authentic, distinct personal experience. But that would require a provincial perspective rather than a world-aggrandizing angle). It’s like AI was given the task of creating a novel based on Wikipedia articles of the international space station, The Challenger, Winnie the Pooh, and typhoons. But hey, that AI writes pretty sentences!
This novel gives cosmic significance to every basic-bitch feeling and feckless thought. It is so vague and impersonal it should have been written in 2nd-person (no offense to 2nd-person, since great writers like Justin Torres can pull this off with authentic, distinct personal experience. But that would require a provincial perspective rather than a world-aggrandizing angle). It’s like AI was given the task of creating a novel based on Wikipedia articles of the international space station, The Challenger, Winnie the Pooh, and typhoons. But hey, that AI writes pretty sentences!
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Orbital.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
September 18, 2024
– Shelved as:
to-read
September 18, 2024
– Shelved
October 28, 2024
–
Started Reading
October 28, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Bethan
(new)
Oct 29, 2024 11:04AM
Sounds like Booker Prize bait. Well, maybe unfair but the books that win are fairly hit or miss for me.
reply
|
flag
Yeah I no doubt reacted so badly because it was “supposed” to be good and seemed like it should be up my alley, but whooboy! Ah well, onto the next.
If you like space themes for a novel, I though Lem's 'Solaris' was very good and that'll have more intellectual meat to it. The Tarkovsky film is excellent too.
Oh shit, yes that’s been in my list since forever. Need to get to it!
Yes, Solaris is very good
Guess who has just won the Booker Prize. And she has a MA and a PhD in creative writing. Too funny. I probably should get around to checking it out myself sometime to see if I like it. The last Booker winner I tried to read was Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other. I hate-read about 30 pages before having to drop it, and I don't do that often. :/
Hah, I actually watched the announcement on YouTube (in Ireland right now!). So lame. Was hoping Perceval Everett would win—haven’t actually read James, but hood novel The Trees was really good (darkly comedic too, which I always appreciate). But I’m reading The Colony now, which was Booker long-listed and it’s so much better. So maybe try that if you’re in the mood :)
Cosmic significance to every basic bitch feeling 😂😂😂😂 so glad other people get how pointless and hopelessly stupid this book is
