Three books about office life

Hello, work week doldrums! Many of us spend the vast majority of our lives in an office setting. (I myself only escaped to the freelance/work-from-home world a few years ago.) It has always been a little surprising to me how few novels are set in the office, given what a fixture it is in everyday American life. My inner curmudgeon says it's because most authors don't have "real jobs" and thus lack a feel for the office as a setting. That being said, here are three great books set in the office.

The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger
What do you do with an English degree from Brown? Why, move to New York City to get a job in publishing, of course. Naïve new graduate Andrea Sachs is angling for a job with The New Yorker, but resorts to taking a job as an assistant to the cutthroat editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine (loosely modeled on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue). Sachs finds herself struggling to maintain her friendships with her old college friends, as well as meeting the demands of her new high-pressure job.

Zone One
Colson Whitehead
This novel of the Zombie Apocalypse may seem like an unlikely choice for this list. But a significant portion of the book involves the current job of the protagonist, who has been assigned to one of many small teams that move methodically through Manhattan's office towers, room by room, cleaning out the corpses and killing the remaining zombies. In amongst the zombie gore and thrills are many wonderful observations on the nature of work, class, civilization, and the futility of it all.

Bonfire of the Vanities
Tom Wolfe
This blockbuster bestseller is so dated that it's come back around again and just feels fresh and retro. The novel explores the world of Wall Street in its early-80s heyday, from bond traders to alcoholic journalists. (Sadly, its scathing commentary on the intersection of class, race, and privilege is just as timely today as it was in the 80s.)

Image copyright Tom Wolfe