Sunday, May 08, 2005

Saturday -2005 Book Review by Lezah Williamson

Saturday
Ian McEwan's novel Saturday is his latest since his blockbuster Atonement.  Having never read the much lauded atonement I have no basis of comparison, although most reviews I have read about Saturday use words such as 'subtle', 'low-key', and the like, when comparing it to Atonement.
Basically, the book deals with a day in the life:  it's a Saturday, the day off for a busy London neurosurgeon.  He comes complete with the usual trappings of success:  a lovely, intelligent wife; brilliant and talented children; a fabulous house in the 'right' neighbourhood; a famous father-in-law; an interesting a satisfying career; and great friends - in short, he's got it all.  But on this particular Saturday, he witnesses an unsettling event at the break of dawn, and this sets the tone for the rest of the book. The protagonist remains unsettled for much of the day, and events that occur - events out of the ordinary for a 'usual' Saturday, or any day for that matter - serve to increase that feeling of unrest.
This novel takes one day to work through the plot.  Unfortunately, as a read, it seems to take a whole lot longer. It was somewhat suspenseful, fairly interesting, quite well-written, but not something that I've been thinking about non-stop since finishing it - which has been the case with many of the books I've read lately.
Over all, I'd give this one a C+.
Lezah



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