Tuesday Book Club: “Just Another Week in Suburbia” by Les Zig
Andrew Pople from Final Draft introduced yet another stellar piece of new Australian writing this week: Les Zig’s tense psychological thriller “Just Another Week in Suburbia”.
Zig’s debut novel takes a long hard look at middle class masculinity in Australia, following the life of protagonist Casper Gray – a teacher, neighbour, husband, dog-lover and vanilla suburbanite living with his wife Jane.
One evening while calming the dog, Casper knocks over his wife’s handbag and discovers a condom, triggering a silent descent into fear, anxiety and delusion. At work and at home, Casper struggles to maintain the happy family-man facade while encountering colleagues and friends with their own inner turmoils.
Zig’s unsettling work peels back the white, middle class veneer so many of us recognise from suburban life in Australia, compelling us to reflect on the hidden lives of those around us.
