▁the ▁author ▁separ ates ▁himself ▁from ▁his ▁character ▁with ▁a ▁" Run y ones que ▁historical ▁present ▁(" He ▁r ises ▁… " ▁" He ▁str ides ▁… ") ▁that ▁solid ifies ▁the ▁context ▁and ▁the ▁actual ity ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Saturday ▁was ▁both ▁crit ically ▁acc laimed ▁and ▁commer cially ▁successful , ▁a ▁best - s eller ▁in ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁spent ▁a ▁week ▁at ▁No . ▁ 3 ▁on ▁both ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Best ▁S eller ▁List ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁and ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly ▁( 4 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 ) ▁lists . ▁ ▁A ▁strong ▁performance ▁for ▁literary ▁fiction , ▁Saturday ▁sold ▁over ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁on ▁release , ▁and ▁sign ings ▁were ▁heavily ▁attended . ▁The ▁paper back ▁edition ▁sold ▁another ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁million . ▁ ▁Ruth ▁Sc urr ▁review ed ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁The ▁Times , ▁calling ▁Mc E wan ▁"[ maybe ] ▁the ▁best ▁novel ist ▁in ▁Britain ▁and ▁is ▁certainly ▁operating ▁at ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁his ▁form id able ▁powers ". ▁She ▁pra ised ▁his ▁exam ination ▁of ▁happiness ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁particularly ▁from ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁of ▁a ▁sur geon : ▁" do ctors ▁see ▁real ▁lives ▁fall ▁to ▁pieces ▁in ▁their ▁consult ing ▁rooms ▁or ▁on ▁their ▁operating ▁tables , ▁day ▁in , ▁day ▁out . ▁O ften ▁they ▁m end ▁what ▁is