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Book Review: SATURDAY by Ian McEwan
6/15/05
In SATURDAY, Ian McEwan writes a timely, up-to-the-minute story that deals with the intrusion of violence into every day life. In the shadow of the Twin Towers, terrorism, and the frenzy leading up to the war to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein's tenterhooks, McEwan constructs the story of one decent man with a scientific outlook -- a brain surgeon -- whose decency and science fails him in the wake of the irrationality of brains gone haywire, nations out of joint, mob behavior, and poetry. McEwan's hero, Henry Perowne, is jostled out of his self-satisfaction by an early morning illusion of a terrorist attack, which sets into motion a series of events that culminate with his family really coming under attack, with a surprising resolution that gives the lie to the power of science and reason. McEwan spins a slow but masterful tale of not just any day in the life, but a day in a life that truly will be looked back upon, at least for Henry Perowne, as a new beginning. And same for those readers lucky enough to be moved by McEwan's art.
Mcewan is a master. Heard you on WAMC today....
I am posting a review I wrote on McEwan's book "Atonement". In that book, he used the same device of writing about ONE single day! This device is not used by too many writers.....
Here's my review: Andrew DiLiddo, Bennington, VT
ajdjr73@earthlink.net
ONE VULGAR FOUR LETTER WORD DEVASTATES LIVES - WOW!, June 29, 2003
Reviewer: Andrew J. DiLiddo, Jr.
This was my first Ian Mcewan book and it was truly magnificent. It is a must read! Rather than re-encapsulate the plot as previous reviewers have done so well, I would prefer to make a few other observations about this fine novel.
First, my experience reading the novel was that it WAS NOT a slow read, but, I ,in fact, did read it slowly because I wanted to relish and savor each wonderful page.
The book brought me back to my childhood middle school English teacher who first introduced my class to the form of the novel with Dicken's "Great Expectations". From that day forward, I always thanked her for teaching me how to appreciate this form and I definitely do put ATONEMENT in the same classic category as "Great Expectations". My English teacher nearly 40 years ago told us that a novel can reflect an entire lifetime of its characters or a period of a few years of their lives or merely about one day! I could not conceive a story about ONE SINGLE DAY and her teaching confused me but I accepted it and learned what else I could. Now, with ATONEMENT, I fully appreciate her teaching because Mcewan does both.
Also, the characters and the plot revolved around one VULGAR four letter word which I choose not to type here because I want this review to clear the editors. You will have to get the book and read it to find that one word.
Thirdly, for writers or others interested in creative writing, sprinkled throughout the novel, the author muses on the craft of writing and although these paragraphs don't necessarily advance the plot of this novel so much, they are nevertheless fascinating and insightful. WRITERS, read this book for those few paragraphs!
...
6/17/2005
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