The Land of Steady Habits

by Ted Thompson

Ted Thompson's shrewdly funny and finely observed novel about a man who must reckon with the high cost of the good life. A major motion picture streaming on Netflix, directed by Nicole Holofcener, and starring Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco, and Connie Britton.

For Anders Hill, long ensconced in the affluent, insular villages of suburban Connecticut that some call "the land of steady habits," it's finally time to reap the rewards of his sensibly-lived life. Newly retired after decades of doing everything right, Anders finds that the contentment he's been promised is still just out of reach. So he decides he's had enough of he leaves his wife, buys a condo, and waits for freedom to transform him.

But as the cheery charade of Christmas approaches, Anders starts to wonder if parachuting out of his old life was the most prudent choice. Stripped of the comforts of his previous identity, Anders turns up at a holiday party full of his ex-wife's friends and is surprised to find that the very world he rejected may be the one he needs the most. Thus Anders embarks on a clumsy, hilarious, and heartbreaking journey to reconcile his past with his present.

Reminiscent of the early work of Updike and Cheever, Ted Thompson writes with a striking compassion for his characters and fresh insight into the American tradition of the suburban narrative.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Novels, Romance, American, Roman

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2014

About the author

Ted Thompson is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he was awarded a Truman Capote Fellowship. His work has appeared in Tin House and Best New American Voices, among other publications. He was born in Connecticut and lives in Brooklyn with his wife.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars: The Land of Steady Habits is a hilarious look at male late-middle-age crisis. Ted Thompson is being touted as “the new and improved” John Updike, with which I concur. The cantankerous main character, Anders Hill, has reached his 60’s and no longer wants to tolerate, what he views as, his insipid life. He’s done all the right things: worked hard; made money; supported his wife and family; and all for what?

I am pleasantly surprised to see such a young author write with such precision a perfect surly and worn-out aged male character. Much of the novel is Ander’s musings, which are hysterically funny. Thompson’s observations of upper middle class family dysfunction and personal disappointments in contemporary America are amazing.

This will be on the list for one of the best books of 2014. It’s a comical take on late life failures and disappointments. This debut deserves all the press it’s gotten.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The negating emptiness of a man’s late middle age is examined alongside of the encroaching isolation of America’s late-stage capitalism. Ted Thompson’s debut novel is reminiscent of Cheever and Updike, rightly so, and his narrative, to me, was warmer and less self-conscious than Updike. Most of the novel takes place in a tony exurb of Connecticut during the Christmas holidays, as Anders Hill’s life begins to unravel.

In order to support his early retirement, Anders needs to sell the house that that his ex-wife, Helene, still lives in; the payments are a year overdue, his finances are stretched, and Helene is uninformed. In the meantime, his neighbor’s teenage son, Charlie, is consumed with a drug habit. Anders, ignorant of this fact, is guilty of sharing a loaded pipe with him at Charlie’s parent’s annual party. Subsequently, Charlie passes out.

Although divorce is a frequent trope in novels--and how it changes families and children, senior life break-ups are less common. Anders asked Helene for a divorce after the sons were grown, and he was approaching sixty. Put on hold for a year after Helene was diagnosed with breast cancer, he resumed the split after she recovered from the surgery, the chemo, and the loss, and was once again cancer-free. Helene was stunned, but moved on with her life, much to the alarm of Anders, especially when she moves her new boyfriend, an old college friend, into the Connecticut house he desperately needs to sell.

Much of the novel is introspection--Anders and secondly, Helene's, but the poignant episodes that move the plot along, or reach back to the past, illuminate the deep fissures in this land of steady habits. This isn't new material, but Thompson has nuanced insight to add to the blistering cracks of American prosperity.

“Nothing was spared. It was all scorched earth.”

[Carol Brill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exact transparent prose creates a voice that pulled me in from the first page. The main character, Anders Hill, is a newly retired sixty-something year old man. In spite of living a responsible life of "steady habits," providing for his family and building a successful career, he finds himself unfulfilled and depressed. He seemingly throws it all away, divorcing his wife, leaving his job, and moving into an "interesting" condo. Ander's character is so compassionately developed, that in spite of what should be unlikable characteristics, he is not only sympathetic, but I found him likable--and it takes a special talent to develop a likable flawed character

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have grown so tired of books about ne'er-do-well men and the wives and mothers who love them anyway. Not a likable character in the book!

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it ever too late in life to have a mid-life crisis?

Anders Hill doesn't think so. He and his wife, Helene, are living a financially comfortable life in suburban Connecticut, socializing with the same group of people they have for years. Both of their sons are grown and have moved on to lives of their own (one more successfully than the other), and they've just finished the requisite home renovations.

For some reason, this life is no longer enough for Anders. He retires from his job in the financial sector and decides it's time he and Helene get a divorce. This decision doesn't follow any significant anguish or betrayal—he's just not satisfied with his life anymore, and is ready to move on to the next chapter, despite how surprising and upsetting this decision is for Helene, their family, and friends. (And don't even mention his poor timing in announcing his decision to Helene.)

Once Anders moves into a condo and is now free of all of the social obligations he found so stilted, he realizes he misses that life, misses Helene, more than he anticipated. But attempts to re-enter his old life seem to go more than awry—he always seems to do or say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and his discovery that Helene has begun dating his old college roommate throws him for even more of a loop. (And doing drugs periodically with a friend's son isn't helping matters either.)

"Divorce, he'd learned early on, was not so much from your spouse but from all of the things you'd forged as a couple—the home, the parental authority, the good credit, the friends."

The Land of Steady Habits follows Anders, Helene, and their youngest son, Preston, as they all try to make sense of their new realities and deal head-on with (or avoid, in some cases) the challenges that they face. It's an interesting look at how easy it is to become complacent in a life in which you're basically unhappy, and how easy it is to take things and people around you for granted. This book is also a commentary about how privilege doesn't always equal happiness.

This was a well-written book, but the majority of the characters were fairly unsympathetic, so it was difficult to warm to them. Anders seemed like a person who was probably in need of psychological help (as was Preston), but people continued berating them and letting their behavior continue unabated instead of getting them help. I totally understood Anders' rants and his need for something different, I just felt like it took him a long time to get there. And while Helene seemed to be the character most deserving of empathy, she seemed fairly flat to me. My favorite parts of the book were Anders' interactions with Charlie, the troubled son of Helene's closest friends, and I wished there were more of those.

In the end, I thought this would be more a comic look at a late-in-life mid-life crisis, but it turned out to hew more toward an introspective character study. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim. I had read that it was a very good debut novel, and I love good debuts. I could barely put it down after the first few pages. I knew almost immediately that it was the kind of skilled writing and storytelling that I love. It seemed clear that writing this novel meant a whole lot to the author as I felt his heartbeats throughout.



















]

[Nathan Rakaczky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book in a lot of ways: the characters were good, the story and plot worked well, the writing was nice. A family drama that felt a little bit new and for our generation.

[Jaksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just did not like this book.

(But first I need to say that Thompson is an excellent writer. Wow, a young guy like this writing about the over-sixty-year-old generation? In grabbing the characters and writing them well, bravo. It's one of the book's strengths. Having said that...)

The book was just too weary. (And I will willingly, even happily, read bleak, depressing, sad. Dystopia is one of my fav. genres.) But this book was so tiring, even boring - my mind would wander as I read. However, because it has been so well-received and reviewed, and because there was a line a mile long waiting for it (at my library), I felt determined to read every page.

What it was is literary with a capital L, where people make terrible choices then run around trying to justify them; where individualism - a tenet of those who came to age in the 1960s' and 70's - comes above all else, and everyone else; yet when you get to be 'old' you wonder if what you did was right, and if not, why not; and then who cares as long as I'm happy; but wait a minute there's other people to consider; and wow did I screw up my kids, my marriage, my life; but no, I had to be me and do what I wanted; and hey, guess what, choices involve consequences; and so on and so on and ... so ... on ...

I didn't like any of the characters. (When I read I try to find at least one to latch onto, to sort of root for or identify with, or at least come to an understanding of. Didn't happen here.)

In summation, it made me weary, so I gave it two stars.

[LATOYA JOVENA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Kissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't really relate to any of the characters except for the tortoise. Disappointed.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Land of Steady Habits was an unexpected surprise. The focus of the story is on Anders Hill, a 60 year old man who lived life according to the rules. Married to Helene, with 2 grown sons -- one son, Preston, 33, is still finding himself. Anders has spent his career traveling from his home in an affluent CT town to his job in finance in New York City. Now at 60, after years and years of witnessing the corporate greed of Wall Street, he's calling it quits and opts for early retirement.

He's not only giving up his job, but he's giving up his beautiful home and his wife as well. He is divorcing his wife, who he hasn't had sex with for 5 months (and according to him -- it's not the fault of his penis). Yes, Anders is having a late-life crisis. He puts off his departure plans for a year when his wife underwent a double mastectomy. When he finally does leave, he's amazed at how quickly Helene gets over his departure. He wonders whether he's made a huge mistake. While Anders heads to a small town in Maine to begin his new life, Helene has his college roommate Donny, a man she dated in college, move into the marital home.

The Land of Steady Habits, is about the dissolution of a marriage. It's about trying to find oneself after years of doing the things you felt you had to do. not what you wanted to do. It's an introspective story, one that made me root for Anders as he tries to make a new life for himself at 60. He wasn't always a sympathetic character, but there was something about him that I loved. He was the type of guy who just couldn't get out of his own way.

There is a lot to like about this debut novel. I love the way this new author writes -- descriptive, touching and even humorous. There are some real funny and not so funny things that take place a holiday party. I especially loved that the protagonist was older, something that I don't find often enough in fiction. Readers who enjoy stories about family dysfunction, or individuals who have sometimes asked themselves, "is this all there is", should try this debut novel -- a pleasant surprise. I can't wait to read more novels by this promising new author.

The audio book was terrific and was read by the author.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ THIS BOOK! If you like John Updike and John Cheever, then this is the book for you. Mostly about suburban angst, but the way this guy writes just hooked me from the start. Some of my favorite sentences:

Within an hour she was inundated with requests from Tommy's childhood friends, names she hadn't heard in years, many of whom had ultrasounds as their profile pics, it seemed, to advertise their induction into the phase of life she was just leaving.

Helene wished she understood something about men: why they'd rather fuck up and be forgiven than to fuck up in the first place.

He never seemed to be particularly surprised about anything ever; his default mode was the droll sophistication of a Tennesee Williams heroine.

Lisa was a small, bony woman who refused to take Tommy's last name and seemed to look down at Helene for taking Anders's almost forty years before, even though Helene had maintained a career while raising her kids and Lisa had used her advanced degree to become a Pilates instructor, which was fine, although it seemed mostly like an excuse to wear elastic clothes and be passive-aggressive about things like processed sugar.

This is Ted Thompson's first novel. Wish I could read it again for the first time.

[Lisa Dresdner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be amusing, not only because reviews actually mention the humor, but also because of its use of a Connecticut motto as its title. It has also been compared to Updike and Cheever in the sense of it being a uniquely modern American novel. Well. First, a better title would've been "The Land of Expectations," because the "modern American" part of this novel is its wealthy suburban setting where characters are whining and bemoaning the fact that their lives are NOT what they expected or they are whining because they have to resist the expectations others put on them. (Is this supposed to make those who don't share that life *want* that life or glad they don't have it?) Second, I can recount perhaps two scenes that might be considered humorous or comical. In short, I found the characters unlikeable (apparently like they're supposed to be) and their selfish, self-indulgent, self-entitled complaining annoying. The main character, Anders, had a little hope at the end, but we didn't see his transformation early enough, nor was his relationship with his son explored enough. I read one review that suggested that perhaps the only thing to do after reading such a bleak novel is to do what the characters do: have a drink.

[Sarah Obsesses over Books & Cookies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the elements I like: a somewhat self-deprecating protagonist, some divorce, some parenting issues, some drug use, some disappointments and an unpredictable ending.
I liked that Anders left his wife and then realizes that he shouldn't have done that. But instead of appreciating the other facets of the story like the children who suffered the consequences of parents wanting the best for them despite what they want, i focused on whether the two would make amends. I won't spoil the ending but even though I like unhappy endings as much as happy ones this one was a little depressing.
I enjoyed the book and hope Thompson is writing a follow up or another novel. He's talented.

[eb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is full of flaws. Thompson shifts the focus between characters in a clumsy, odd way. He has a big problem with transitions—you'll be reading along and suddenly realize that the narrative has jumped five years forward in time. And the whole thing feels about one-fourth as long as it should be. But despite all that, I enjoyed this novel immensely. Thompson captures preppy Connecticut in beautiful, unpretentious prose--the insights, the fights, and the sentences are on par with Cheever. I'll read whatever this guy writes next.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not think I am the intended audience for this book. The characters are not likable, the pace of the story is glacial at best, I had no clear idea what anyone wanted at any point, nor did I care. There were some interesting points, but honestly the plot was familiar and boring and it took me forever to get through this book. The climax and resolution were disappointing. Not the type of thing I normally read and now I remember why. Again, perhaps if I was a late-age man I might enjoy this book.

[Lee Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Formally, this seems to intentionally collapse from its initial steady state, paralleling the characters' path. Thought it lacked audacity and memorable images until a giant champagne bottle met its doom. The prose often flexed serious old-timey '50s/'60s chops. Insightful, gracefully phrased moments more often popped on pages that seemed less worked. Stretches early on and Preston's Phishy bits, particularly, were really solid reading. A talented writer -- I look forward to what comes next.

[Eirelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

***HERE, THERE BE SPOILERS***

4.5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. I don't typically listen to audiobooks, but it was the only way this one was available for free.

It takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, right smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, so I wanted to "read" it during that time as well. I had already watched the movie a couple of times (Ben Mendelsohn plays Anders wonderfully), and I wanted to see how the book compared. It was very similar, with just a few differences -- namely the fact that Anders didn't have only one son in the book. I also enjoyed all the backstory between Anders and his wife, which we didn't get much of in the movie.

Anders is such a flawed character. But he has a charm about him, despite all of his shortcomings, that makes him likable & relatable, nonetheless. He's the type of character I root for to grow & improve, while wanting to hug him and shake him simultaneously.

I enjoyed the pacing of the book -- it didn't move too slowly or too quickly. I felt like all of the characters were well-developed, and I could really feel all of their personalities coming through as I listened. I also liked that the book didn't end in a *perfect* place. Things were still a little bit uncertain, but it felt as though Anders had grown, and things had improved as a whole. The book had a hopeful ending, where I felt like Anders & the others would continue working towards better lives all around.

This was a great book on which to end the reading year.

[Momina M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You know what the scientist in charge of that project said about it forty years later? He was one of those Soviet guys with a goatee and a lab coat, and he said, 'Nothing we learned on that mission could justify the loss of that beautiful animal.'"
"Really?"
"Google it. Laika was a stray and the scientists became really close to her. They, like, raised her."
Anders looked back at the page, the dog strapped down to that table. "That's heartbreaking."

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A John Updike/John Cheever-esq novel of a newly-retired, newly-divorced 60 year man living in Connecticut. Mix in some “Revolutionary Road,” “Appointment in Samara” and “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit.” An ok addition to this genre, but not quite in the same league.

Minutes after finishing the book, I watched the movie. Highly recommend the movie, perhaps more to than the book. But my reading the book no doubt informed my movie-watching experience.

[Matthew Harby Conforti · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/ Well-written and fairly unflinching look at suburban boomer unhappiness. It lags in a few spots, but the beginning and end were good.

[Marnix Verplancke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anders Hill is net de zestig voorbij wanneer hij er plots genoeg van heeft. Op zijn vrouw is hij al lang uitgekeken, zijn twee zonen zijn het huis uit en dat huis zelf? Welja, dat hoeft ook niet meer zo nodig. Zijn leven is tot stilstand gekomen, stelt hij vast, en daarom zet hij een echtscheidingsprocedure in gang, gaat hij op vervroegd pensioen en neemt hij zich voor volop voor de vrijheid te gaan. Wat merkt hij echter na verloop van tijd? Dat Helene, zijn ex, een nieuw leven begint met Donny, zijn kamergenoot van weleer; dat zijn vrijheid niet veel verder draagt dan zelf de protserige kerstversiering op het dak van zijn nieuwe woonst installeren en dat hij zich mispakt heeft aan dat vervroegd pensioen: de financiële ademnood komt steeds dichterbij. Daardoor begint het Anders te dagen dat zijn vroegere leven misschien toch nog zo slecht niet was.
Ted Thompson weeft door deze verhaallijn uit Het land van vaste gewoonten een tweede, die alles te maken heeft met Anders’ job. Net afgestudeerd ging hij immers aan de slag bij Springer Financial. Voor die firma sloot hij een deal met een bouwpromotor uit Kansas City die 500 in feite minderwaardige, maar duur op de markt gebrachte woningen wou bouwen. De kopers zouden een veel te dure lening aangesmeerd krijgen bij hun aankoop, en die zou Springer leveren. De deal werd een succes, Anders kon zich op zijn achtentwintigste partner in Springer Financial noemen en zonder dat het goed te beseffen blies hij de eerste ademstoot in de Amerikaanse huizenbubbel die in 2008 tot een wereldwijde economische crisis zou leiden. En, o ironie, laat nu net Anders zelf het slachtoffer dreigen te worden van geldtekort, waardoor het grote huis in de suburbs van Connecticut dat Helene nog steeds bewoont wel eens een bezoekje van een deurwaarder zou kunnen krijgen.
De - overigens unaniem lovende - Amerikaanse kritiek vergeleek Het land van vaste gewoonten met het werk van Updike en Cheever, en inderdaad, de genadeloze manier waarop Thompson afrekent met het kleinburgerlijke leven van de buitenwijk-middenklasse doet aan de boeken van deze twee grootheden denken. Maar deze roman is meer dan een sixties-revival. Thompson schrijft ook fraai meanderend proza dat doet denken aan dat van Jonathan Franzen. De lange openingsscène waarin Anders voor het eerst als vrijgezel naar een feest gaat waar ook Helene en haar vrienden aanwezig zijn, is grandioos. Anders gedraagt zich als een olifant in een porseleinkast, begint uiteindelijk drugs te gebruiken met Charlie, de zoon van de gastheer, en moet het meemaken dat deze jongen afgevoerd wordt met een overdosis. Franzen zou er iets magnifieks van maken, en dat doet Thompson ook.
Het is trouwens deze Charlie die de essentie van Het land van vaste gewoonten blootlegt. Hij werkt aan een graphic novel over Laika, het hondje dat door de Sovjets de ruimte werd ingeschoten en dat bij terugkeer in de dampkring gewoon opbrandde. “Mijn boek gaat over geëxploiteerd worden door de mensen die je zouden moeten beschermen,” legt hij uit, en als lezer weet je dat dit over Anders en zijn generatie gaat, de mensen die roekeloos hun eigen kleine belang nastreefden en hun medemensen een veel te hoge hypotheek aansmeerden.

[Matt Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this impressive debut. As a fan of Richard Yates and John Cheever, I suspected The Land of Steady Habits would be up my alley, and I was impressed with how Thompson's book breathed new life into a pretty familiar conceit and set of characters. I actually found myself thinking of the film American Beauty while reading this, and I think it will lend itself well to the screen. I've read that Nicole Holofcener has optioned the material, and she's a perfect fit for the material. I couldn't help but think of Tom Hanks while reading about Anders, and for some reason Patricia Clarkson kept coming to mind as either Helene, or perhaps even more so, as Sophie Ashby. My only minor quibbles with the book were that I found myself yearning for a bit more of the dark wit that appeared throughout; I had a bit of a harder time staying connected to the middle third of the book; and I just felt like there was an added layer of nuance to the relationship between Anders and his sons that I found myself searching for (maybe something more from Tommy would have revealed a side of Anders's paternal legacy. Is "the good son" really as happy as he seems?). I also thought that something about the climactic scene near the end felt ever so stage-y, in an August Osage County kind of way. Still, it's a subtle, beautifully written exploration of the suburban dream, and I read this book in a day. Thompson's a talent, and I look forward to reading more. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5, but rounding up giving GR's system.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could easily develop a habit of reading beautifully-written debuts like "The Land of Steady Habits."

Ted Thompson's first foray into novel writing kept me captivated from the very first page. Considering I have a short attention from reading and writing all day as a profession, I believe Thompson's ability to hook me with this story is a feat in itself.

His trick was exploring timely topics -- from aging and parent-child relationships to drug addictions and teenage rebellion -- that most readers can connect with on some level. His protagonist Anders Hill, a 60-something former businessman who flees a failing marriage and the corporate world, is especially relatable to today's generation.

But Thompson doesn't just rest on the laurels of timely themes.

He masterfully weaves together humour, keen observations and sharp dialogue to create an enjoyable, action-packed read. Even when Thompson fills in some of the blanks in Hill's history, he is able to keep those background scenes relevant and entertaining for readers.

If you read one book this year, please let it be Thompson's "The Land of Steady Habits."

[Courtney Maum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take the sexual frustrations of Updike, add in the suburban angst of Cheever and add in the readability of Franzen and you have an approximate recipe for Ted Thompson's standout debut novel. If you don't like any of the writers I've just cited, read this fine book anyway. Some people are saying that this novel is dark, but not enough people are saying that it's also extremely witty. There are laugh out loud observations throughout—one in particular about how passive aggressive people can be about refined sugar made me spit my drink out—and the struggles of each person in this story about an entire family going through a mid-life crisis are treated with dignity and poise. It's a lovely book. Read it, love it, and then tell your friends to go out and buy it so they can love it, too.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book but not one I would consider as compelling as some other recent reviewers would claim. Anders is in his sixties and experiencing what some might call his midlife crisis or the revelation of the emptiness of his life. The character development is good though a little choppy at times; more background than development. It's a poignant, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous story of Anders and his family as they all muddle through this period of time because of and despite him.

[Bryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should've known! My general rule of thumb is that if it isn't a 4+ star on Goodreads, I shouldn't read it! It was okay; it is what it professes to be--a front row seat to late middle-aged malaise, in spite of affluence and apparent achievement, complete with plot lines that seem a bit too outlandish (e.g., smoking marijuana with the delinquent kid of your best friends at their beautifully catered holiday party). With all of that said, I still enjoyed some parts of the book and its articulation of the human condition, specific to suburban, upper-middle class life.

[Libby Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this book up mostly for the cover color. I’m so tired of picking up millennial ennui/angsty books that attempt to do social commentary about hating a life with money. It’s always from a privileged point of view and then they end up getting money and being happy so? I don’t know if it’s good social commentary or not but I’m so tired of it. The author looks like Mike Johnson.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it fast, as it was mighty depressing...neither the adults nor their kids would win any prizes...and what the parents "unknowingly" did to produce such loser children was awful.

There were no "adults" in this book...just people behaving badly and immaturely.

At least there was some home for the adults (?) at the end of the book...but their children were still struggling with life and identity.

[Kyle Schnitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover is deceiving. For me, it teased me into thinking this was the next Cheever or Updike. But it is not. Anders is an incredible character, making questionable decision after questionable decision, but in a way, resembles you and I. Thompson's prose is strong, his paragraphs are long, effectively trapping the reader inside the story which offers a brief glimpse of how Anders feels his life is going. The strongest book I have read in 2014 by a long shot.