▁series ▁of ▁ch ores ▁and ▁ple asures ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁a ▁family ▁dinner ▁in ▁the ▁evening . ▁As ▁he ▁goes ▁about ▁his ▁day , ▁he ▁p onders ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁protest ▁and ▁the ▁problems ▁that ▁inspired ▁it ; ▁however , ▁the ▁day ▁is ▁dis rupted ▁by ▁an ▁encounter ▁with ▁a ▁violent , ▁trouble d ▁man . ▁ ▁To ▁understand ▁his ▁character ' s ▁world - view , ▁Mc E wan ▁spent ▁time ▁with ▁a ▁neu ros ur geon . ▁The ▁novel ▁expl ores ▁one ' s ▁eng agement ▁with ▁the ▁modern ▁world ▁and ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁existence ▁in ▁it . ▁The ▁main ▁character , ▁though ▁out ward ly ▁successful , ▁still ▁strugg les ▁to ▁understand ▁meaning ▁in ▁his ▁life , ▁expl oring ▁personal ▁satisfaction ▁in ▁the ▁post - mod ern , ▁developed ▁world . ▁Though ▁intellig ent ▁and ▁well ▁read , ▁Per ow ne ▁feels ▁he ▁has ▁little ▁influence ▁over ▁political ▁events . ▁ ▁The ▁book , ▁published ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁Jonathan ▁Cape ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁in ▁April ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁was ▁crit ically ▁and ▁commer cially ▁successful . ▁Crit ics ▁noted ▁Mc E wan ' s ▁elegant ▁pro se , ▁careful ▁dis section ▁of ▁daily ▁life , ▁and ▁inter w oven ▁them es . ▁It ▁won ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁James ▁T ait ▁Black ▁Memorial ▁Prize ▁for ▁fiction . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁eight ▁languages . ▁ ▁Com position ▁and ▁publication ▁ ▁Saturday ▁is ▁Mc E wan '