What did you think of Orbital winning? Have you had a chance to read the book?
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I just finished reading James and Orbital and I’m thinking of starting The Bee Sting now. Happy that Orbital won the Booker Prize, but would have been equally happy if James had won!
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@Carol_Lehmann what did you think of Orbital? I saw something that said it didn’t have a plot so I wasn’t sure if it was a novel I’d enjoy.
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The only one of the books on the Booker longlist I’ve read is Playground. I’m curious about which others people have read, and of those, which they recommend. As I’ve written elsewhere, I loved Playground.
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I haven’t read it yet. I just put it on the very long “to be read” list.
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I haven’t read it yet. I did read James and enjoyed that.
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It’s true. Orbital is being described by many as a meditation because there really is no plot. It’s very serene. I didn’t love it but I’m very much a plot gal.
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Thanks, @Anne_Glasgow! Guess I’ll be giving that one a miss. I might enjoy it, but I probably wouldn’t be able to finish it. I need a plot that encourages me to pick the book back up. If there’s no plot, the book tends to languish.
I read Orbital when it first came out. A sleeper for sure. I loved it in a quiet way. I found it interesting in the way it made what the characters thought about as they went about their day. It was surprising how much I enjoyed it.
I have recently read “James”, and loved that one very much too.
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Exquisite! Started listening to Orbital because of this thread and was immediately entranced. Thoughtful and lyrical writing brought to life with great narration. Yes, there is no plot but sometimes it is amazing to listen and reflect. One of a handful of my 2024 favorites.
As for James, I haven’t read it. With the exception of Wicked, which I read years ago, I tend to consider books re-imagined from classics not overly creative so I have steered clear of James and Demon Copperhead. Perhaps someday I will check them out.
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Yes, loved it. It recreates the feeling one would have in space for many orbits around the earth. And if you read closely, there is a very understated but lethal conflict unfolding.
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I haven’t read it yet. I requested it from my library. Just waiting for my turn to read it. It sounds interesting.
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Gabi, I would like to encourage you to reconsider about James. I found it to be so much more than a reimagined Huck Finn. It does share some common touchpoints with Huck but very much tells its own story. And Percival Everett’s writing is beautiful, sometimes funny, and nearly always shines light on difficult subjects.
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