Saturday

By: Ian McEwan

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

New York Times best-selling author Ian McEwan's novels have inspired sweeping critical acclaim and won such prestigious awards as the Booker Prize for Amsterdam and the National Book Critics Circle Award for his modern masterpiece, Atonement. With Saturday, McEwan has crafted perhaps his most unique achievement to date.

Neurosurgeon Henry Perowne enjoys life immensely and considers himself fortunate to love the woman he's married to. As he makes his way through an immense London crowd of Iraq protestors, he has a minor automobile accident. His trained eye immediately senses something neurologically wrong with Baxter, the other driver. So when the confrontational Baxter visits the Perowne home later that evening and events take a tragic turn, it is Henry who must employ his skills to save Baxter.

McEwan has been hailed as "one of the most gifted literary storytellers alive" by The New Republic, and Saturday is further proof of that claim.

Critic reviews

"Dazzling." (The New York Times)
"A wise and poignant portrait of the way we live now." (Publishers Weekly)
"McEwan is as provocative, transporting, and brilliant as ever as he considers both our vulnerability and our strength, particularly our ability to create sanctuary in a violent world." (Booklist)

Great writing and great reader

McEwan relies more heavily on character development than plot in this tale of a day's events, but what great character development it is. The reader hits a great tone. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The storyline will keep you reading

I liked the descriptions of the neurosurgical procedures. it made me feel like I was in the OR.

Wonderful!

I've been an audible.com subscriber for nearly five years and have listened to over 200 books. This book is easily one of the 15 best. I absolutely loved it! I often use customer ratings and reviews to guide my purchases. When I got this book, there weren't any ratings yet. Now, there are several and to my surprise they are poor!

As a anesthesiologist/intensivist, I often cringe at medical inaccuracies in literature. Perhaps it takes a physician to appreciate this book, but I found it absolutely stunning in it's accuracy and the way the author uses details to build the main character. The plot is suspenseful and very engaging. I couldn?t set it down. I was absolutely convinced the author was an accomplished neurosurgeon, and was stunned when I went to his website (http://www.ianmcewan.com/) and found that he it not. I?m American, but work with many UK physicians and nurses. McEwan captures the British personality in so many ways. I absolutely loved this book!

Thought provoking

Much is crammed into the meaning of Saturday..it has many themes but basically life is a slow movement through consequences, choices,
chance, and aging. It is always moving toward change and ultimately oblivion. There were many metaphoric themes in this novel representing this process: Iraq war, Bexters illness and brutality, Daisy’s poetry and pregnancy, Lily’s Alzheimer’s, Henry’s decision to take some responsibility in the process and do what he can to salvage something for Baxter. Carolyn Jacobson

A good listen

I enjoyed the story and the performance. I gave it four stars because it is not a book that I “just couldn’t wait to get back to”; but a pleasant distraction all the same.