, ▁noted ▁how ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁wife , ▁parents ▁and ▁children ▁are ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁writer ' s . ▁Mc E wan ' s ▁son , ▁Greg , ▁who ▁like ▁The o ▁played ▁the ▁guitar ▁reason ably ▁well ▁in ▁his ▁youth , ▁emphas ized ▁one ▁difference ▁between ▁them , ▁" I ▁definitely ▁don ' t ▁wear ▁tight ▁black ▁je ans ". ▁ ▁Ex cer pts ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁five ▁different ▁literary ▁mag az ines , ▁including ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁chapter ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Book ▁Review , ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁The ▁complete ▁novel ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁Jonathan ▁Cape ▁Im print ▁of ▁Random ▁House ▁Books ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁in ▁London , ▁New ▁York , ▁and ▁Toronto ; ▁Dutch , ▁Heb rew , ▁German , ▁French , ▁Spanish , ▁Polish , ▁Russian , ▁and ▁Japanese ▁transl ations ▁followed . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁follows ▁Henry ▁Per ow ne , ▁a ▁middle - aged , ▁successful ▁sur geon . ▁Five ▁chap ters ▁chart ▁his ▁day ▁and ▁thoughts ▁on ▁Saturday ▁the ▁ 1 5 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁demonstr ation ▁against ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q , ▁the ▁largest ▁protest ▁in ▁British ▁history . ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁day ▁begins ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁morning , ▁when ▁he ▁sees ▁a ▁burning ▁aer op lane ▁stre ak ▁across ▁the ▁sky . ▁This