Books like Saturday by Ian McEwan
Saturday, a novel by Booker Prize–winning author Ian McEwan, takes place during a single Saturday in February 2003 in central London. Henry Perowne, a successful neurosurgeon, lives a contented life with his wife, a newspaper lawyer, and their children. He wakes in his comfortable home on a day off, enjoying the normalcy of home life and the calm of his surgical practice.
His day is disrupted by the escalating political climate: the impending Iraq War and widespread protests in London following the 9/11 attacks. While preparing for a scheduled squash match, Perowne encounters a minor traffic accident involving a young, aggressive individual. The altercation escalates when the teenager feels humiliated by Perowne’s professional perspective, leading to violent consequences that threaten the family’s safety.
The novel explores the fragile balance between personal peace and the unexpected external forces that can upend it, weaving psychological insight with a tense, contemporary setting.
First publish date: 2004
Genre: Political Fiction/Political Drama
Authors: Ian McEwan
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3.7 (9 community ratings)
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