'Saturday' by Ian McEwan follows the protagonist, Dr. Henry Perowne, a neurosurgeon, through a day that starts with promise but turns nightmarish. The book delves into Perowne's inner thoughts, his interactions with his family, his reflections on life and consciousness, and the challenges he faces when a minor traffic accident leads to unexpected confrontations. The writing style is described as brilliant, with detailed passages that capture the complexities of human thought and emotion, set against the backdrop of post-9/11 London and the impending war in Iraq.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book includes themes of violence, mental illness (Alzheimer's), and references to terrorism, which may be distressing to some readers.
From The Publisher:
In his triumphant new novel, Ian McEwan, the bestselling author of Atonement, follows an ordinary man through a Saturday whose high promise gradually turns nightmarish. Henry Perowne-a neurosurgeon, urbane, privileged, deeply in love with his wife and grown-up children-plans to play a game of squash, visit his elderly mother, and cook dinner for his family. But after a minor traffic accident leads to an unsettling confrontation, Perowne must set aside his plans and summon a strength greater than he knew he had in order to preserve the life that is dear to him.
Ratings (12)
Loved It (3) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (15):
Read It (12) | |
Want To Read (2) | |
Not Interested (1) |
1 comment(s)
How much of a book do you usually read before you give it up? Very rarely am I unable to read a book to completion. The few examples I can think of are The Old Man & the Sea and One Hundred Years of Solitude. It seems that recently my patience wears out more quickly, though, as I have such little "fun" reading time that I consider it a precious commodity and will not waste it sloughing through a terrible book.
According to my Kindle, I've struggled through 27% of this book over the past months, and it's just not getting any better. So I'm going to give it up. I hate reviewing a book that I haven't actually completed, but this is one of the most boring, narcissistic, and pretentious things I've had the misfortune of coming across.
The main character is just not interesting or believable, even though the author seems to think we need to know every detail of his terribly charmed life. Oooh a rich neurosurgeon that also has a beautiful perfect wife and a French poet (really?!) for a daughter and a hipster jazz-playing teenager for a son. This family does not exist in real life, or if they did, they must be the most obnoxious people you'd ever run across!
What can you read after
Saturday?
About the Author:
Ian McEwan is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the novels Nutshell; The Children Act; Sweet Tooth; Solar, winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize; Saturday; Atonement, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the W. H. Smith Literary Award; The Comfort of Strangers and Black…
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