ABANDONED. Novel set in Southern US about a professor disillusioned with his mundane life and has an affair with a younger professor

[Jessie]

I read this book in college, around 2015, it was a literature course. I remember it being a famous author, it was set in the south in US not sure the year it was set in could be the 50s-90s.
The protagonist was a professor, he seemed to be bored and felt trapped in his family life.
He moans about his family, has an affair with I believe a younger professor and describes that she manicures her nether regions in a particular way.
And by the end he reconciles with his wife and family I think?

[Rachel]

A couple of possibilities:

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

Disgrace by JM Coetzee

Both books have professors who have affairs - not all of the details match your description but thought it was worth a shot.

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Jessie (OP) was last active on the site in March 2020.