Good novel about upper middle class suburban New Jersey? (Newark: crime, house)

[sysedit212]

Does anybody know of a good, somewhat recent novel that portrays life in an upper middle class NJ suburb?

[nybbler]

Don't know of a novel, but there's the movie "The Oranges", which was apparently terrible. And worse, filmed in NY.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by sysedit212

Does anybody know of a good, somewhat recent novel that portrays life in an upper middle class NJ suburb?

It's not recent at all, but Wifey by Judy Blume was pretty funny.

[foodyum]

Harlan Coben is a great mystery writer and many of his stories take place in New Jersey. He lives in Ridgewood and grew up in Livingston.

Best-Selling Crime Novelist Harlan Coben Talks About His New Jersey Roots-www.njmonthly.com

Not sure which of his MANY books have the best description of the suburbs. Maybe Gone for Good? Hopefully a Coben fan will see this post.


Good Bye Columbus by Phillip Roth was set in Short Hills, not recent, but a classic.

[Mayvenne]

Yup the only thing that came to my mind was Good bye Columbus, and also Judy Blume.


Just remembered there is a detective series, VERY popular, ( I have never read it but ...) I though lots take place in Princeton?Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

[daliowa]

Both Philip Roth & Joyce Carol Oates have books set in NJ.

[daliowa]

Originally Posted by Mayvenne

Yup the only thing that came to my mind was Good bye Columbus, and also Judy Blume.


Just remembered there is a detective series, VERY popular, ( I have never read it but ...) I though lots take place in Princeton?Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

Also, Philip Roth's book "The Plot Against America" was set in Newark.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by foodyum

Harlan Coben is a great mystery writer and many of his stories take place in New Jersey. He lives in Ridgewood and grew up in Livingston.

Best-Selling Crime Novelist Harlan Coben Talks About His New Jersey Roots-www.njmonthly.com

Not sure which of his MANY books have the best description of the suburbs. Maybe Gone for Good? Hopefully a Coben fan will see this post.


Good Bye Columbus by Phillip Roth was set in Short Hills, not recent, but a classic.

Duh on me, totally forgot about Harlan Coben. I used to pass his house all the time. He has a gorgeous Victorian in Ridgewood.

Mary Higgins Clark, another NJ author, often places her mysteries in and around Bergen County, where she lives. I don't know if that's the sort of thing you are looking for, though.

My all-time favorite NJ author, Sharon Kay Penman, lives down in Cape May County. Unfortunately for the OP, her stories are set in England about a thousand years or so ago. She does have a lot of scenes taking place in Shrewsbury--the one on the border of Wales.

[KoalaNJ]

There is a much more recent novel by Mary Higgins Clark, No Place Like Home, set in Mendham. I think it was first published in 2005.

There is also several novels by Anna Quindlen which are set in NJ, One True Thing, (which was also filmed in Morristown, NJ) Blessings was set in a "rich suburb of NYC", as was Object Lessons. I'd argue that both could be construed as being set in NJ.

KoalaNJ

[NYtoNJtoPA]

How about the Stepford Wives?

I also heard of a 1970s novel called the Manipulated Man, which I haven't read yet but definitely want to. By the sound of its title and wikipedia page, it sounds like something that might qualify.