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Overview
Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he’d have everything going for him. Fame. Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.
The reality, though, is far different. He’s got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he’s written a novel, but the manuscript he’s slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.
Tom’s life is crushing his soul, but he’s decided to do something about it. (Really.) Domestic Violets is the brilliant and beguiling story of a man finally taking control of his own happiness—even if it means making a complete idiot of himself along the way.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
This debut comedic novel takes on the corporate machine, the literary machine, adultery, family, and dogs with anxiety disorders. Tom Violet is the son of charming literary superstar Curtis Violet, who shows up in the middle of the night to tell Tom that he's divorcing again and moving in with Tom, his wife, and 13-year-old daughter. (It's technically Curtis's house since he paid for it.) Tom has his own problems: "mild" erectile dysfunction (according to the Internet), a crush on a young woman who works with at his company that "helps other companies be better companies," his secret shelved novel, and his neurotic dog. When Curtis wins the Pulitzer Prize, Tom's feelings of inadequacy go into free fall, but the laughs keep coming. Norman controls his complicated story and handles its chaos and plot twists with a steady, funny hand. Despite a heavy reliance on pop-culture references and some stock characters—the pompous writer, his tough agent, the trophy wife—this is a thoroughly entertaining, light but thoughtful read. (Aug.)Washington Post on DOMESTIC VIOLETS
“All this misery makes for good comedy … charmingly drawn …”Washington Independent Review of Books on DOMESTIC VIOLETS
“Norman’s hilarious debut novel is a tale of a man’s middle-age quest to differentiate himself from his father and decide what’s worth changing and what’s worth keeping in his life.”New York Journal of Books
"Timing, so important in comedy, is also exacting in Mr. Norman’s expert hands...Domestic Violets leaves the reader satisfied by the intriguing plot written in a comic spirit; it also endears the author and hero to the reader for maximum poignancy."Shelf Awareness
"Norman’s debut novel is funny and incisive, and hard on sacred cows."Booklist
"Reminiscent of Richard Russo’s earlier work, Norman’s refreshingly witty style is perfectly suited to articulating the trials of a middle-aged cynic. Wonderfully fast-paced, hilariously genuine, difficult to put down, Domestic Violets is an ideal first novel."Jessica Anya Blau
"Domestic Violets is a fast, fun, hilarious read."Susan Richards Shreve
"Domestic Violets is a wonderfully readable, riotous story... told with humor and surprising intimacy. "Joshua Gaylord
"Matthew Norman has written a dastardly fun satire of contemporary domestic life [with} surprising twists on all the old conventions and a fresh perspective on a literary foundation that hearkens back to Philip Roth, John Updike and John Cheever. An astoundingly good read!"Susan K. Perry
"so real, so funny"John Wilwol
All this misery makes for good comedy, especially when Norman goes after corporate culture.—The Washington Post