▁world ▁where ▁terror ism , ▁war ▁and ▁politics ▁make ▁the ▁news ▁head lines , ▁but ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁has ▁to ▁live ▁out ▁this ▁life ▁until ▁he ▁" coll ides ▁with ▁another ▁fate ". ▁One ▁rev iewer ▁also ▁notes ▁that ▁in ▁Saturday ▁the ▁perspective ▁on ▁the ▁del icate ▁state ▁of ▁human ity ▁that ▁Per ow ne ▁der ives ▁from ▁his ▁medical ▁knowledge ▁is ▁presented ▁in ▁contrast ▁to , ▁and ▁from ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁perspective ▁superior ▁to , ▁that ▁of ▁novel ists . ▁ ▁Political ▁eng agement ▁The ▁burning ▁aer op lane ▁in ▁the ▁book ' s ▁opening , ▁and ▁the ▁susp ic ions ▁it ▁immediately ▁ar ouses , ▁quickly ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁terror ism ▁and ▁international ▁security . ▁The ▁day ' s ▁political ▁demonstr ation ▁and ▁the ▁u bi qu ity ▁of ▁its ▁news ▁coverage ▁provide ▁background ▁noise ▁to ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁day , ▁leading ▁to ▁him ▁to ▁p onder ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁these ▁events . ▁Christopher ▁H itch ens ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁set ▁on ▁the ▁" actual ▁day ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁bien - p ens ant ▁Britain ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁streets ▁to ▁je er ▁at ▁George ▁Bush ▁and ▁Tony ▁Bla ir " ▁and ▁placed ▁the ▁novel ▁as ▁" un ap olog et ically ▁anch ored ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁material ▁world ▁and ▁its ▁several ▁dis contents ". ▁The ▁Econom ist ▁newspaper ▁set ▁the ▁context ▁as ▁a ▁" world ▁where ▁terror ism ▁and ▁war ▁make ▁head lines , ▁but ▁also ▁filter ▁into ▁the ▁smallest