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A review by valliyarnl
Saturday by Ian McEwan
3.0
3.5 stars
What a fantastic novel... that I never would have finished if I didn't have a 4000 word paper assigned on it. There are some books that are so truly purposefully written, with powerful messages and moments, character explorations, theme subversions, that are so hard to read, most of the time we give up part way through. Saturday is one of these books. Needless to say, I'm glad I got through.
McEwan's novel is literary fiction in every sense of that term. We follow Henry Perowne, a neurosurgeon, during the 24 hours that encompass Saturday February 15 2003. This is not a plot-heavy book, something that contributed to it being so hard to get through, I think, because sometimes nothing seemed to be happening. Instead, the focus is on the writing, the way Perowne processes the world around him.
This is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read, though. All the small threads, which were started somehow wrap around in the end in a quite emotional manner, I would argue. In fact, I was touched much more by the conclusion of the novel than I thought I would be.
Themes are what stood out to me the most and their portrayal. Whether it was the idea of art vs logic, happiness, illness, or political engagement, each theme was given special attention and was directly involved in the resolution of the narrative.
Overall, I much preferred the latter half of the book than the first, and it was a slog to get through. HOWEVER, once I did get through it, boy was it worth it.
What a fantastic novel... that I never would have finished if I didn't have a 4000 word paper assigned on it. There are some books that are so truly purposefully written, with powerful messages and moments, character explorations, theme subversions, that are so hard to read, most of the time we give up part way through. Saturday is one of these books. Needless to say, I'm glad I got through.
McEwan's novel is literary fiction in every sense of that term. We follow Henry Perowne, a neurosurgeon, during the 24 hours that encompass Saturday February 15 2003. This is not a plot-heavy book, something that contributed to it being so hard to get through, I think, because sometimes nothing seemed to be happening. Instead, the focus is on the writing, the way Perowne processes the world around him.
This is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read, though. All the small threads, which were started somehow wrap around in the end in a quite emotional manner, I would argue. In fact, I was touched much more by the conclusion of the novel than I thought I would be.
Themes are what stood out to me the most and their portrayal. Whether it was the idea of art vs logic, happiness, illness, or political engagement, each theme was given special attention and was directly involved in the resolution of the narrative.
Overall, I much preferred the latter half of the book than the first, and it was a slog to get through. HOWEVER, once I did get through it, boy was it worth it.