Suburban Malaise

Suburban – an adjective meaning contemptibly dull and ordinary. Malaise – a noun meaning a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Quite possibly the mainspring work of suburban malaise, the Wheelers are suburbanites who see themselves as very different from their neighbors.

Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
This 1972 satirical thriller tells the story of Joanna Eberhart, who moves to a gated Connecticut community and quickly begins to sense something amiss with her new neighbors.

Little Children by Tom Perrotta
Interwoven stories of a set of characters living in a Boston suburb during a hot summer.

The Land of Steady Habits by Ted Thompson
Anders Hill leaves his family and the "land of steady habits”—a Connecticut hamlet along the commuter line—for a new life. 

Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver
Discontent in mid-century America suburbia at its finest in Raymond Chandler’s first collection of short stories.

“Outage” by John Updike
A power outage and two suburban neighborhood wanders.

“Wakefield” by E.L. Doctorow
Howard Wakefield hides in his garage attic until his family is convinced he has gone missing.

“The Lie” by T. Coraghessan Boyle
Lonnie dismantles his life beginning with a lie to take a day off work.

“The Dinner Party” by Joshua Ferris
A Brooklyn couple complains bitterly about bourgeois conventions as they wait for their guest to arrive for a dinner party, but complaining is not the same as non-conformity.