Domestic Violets: A Novel

Matthew Norman

avg, 2011 · Harper Collins

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“Reminiscent of Richard Russo’s earlier work. . . . Wonderfully fast-paced, hilariously genuine, difficult to put down . . . an ideal first novel.” —Booklist

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 arch-nemesis 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.

“Thoroughly entertaining.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fast, fun, hilarious read.” —Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and Drinking Closer to Home

“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.” —New York Journal of Books

“All this misery makes for good comedy . . . charmingly drawn.” —Washington Post

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Matthew Norman is an advertising copywriter. He lives with his wife and daughter in Baltimore. Domestic Violets is his first novel.