Ian McEwan's novel "What We Can Know" is highly praised as a psychologically acute and richly layered literary work. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future England where the protagonist, Thomas Metcalfe, a humanities professor, embarks on a quest to find a long-lost poem "A Corona for Vivien" written by a notable poet, Francis Blundy. The story blends a literary mystery with reflections on memory, culture, and civilization's survival in a climate- ravaged world. The narrative also unfolds into a profound exploration of human emotions, including love, betrayal, and the darker aspects of the human psyche. Critics highlight McEwan's skillful writing, blending eloquent prose with deep psychological insight and moral complexity. The novel incorporates themes such as artistic legacy, cultural memory, and the obligations biographers have towards their subjects. It features a mix of melodramatic and tumultuous events alongside thoughtful meditations on history, infidelity, artificial intelligence, and survival. The novel has been described as a bold, dynamic, and at times bleak journey through a future fractured by war, climate change, and societal collapse, yet it is also life-affirming and philosophically charged. Overall, "What We Can Know" is seen as a masterful work that stands out in Ian McEwan's late career, combining a gripping page- turner with profound literary and existential themes.