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    Domestic Violets: A Novel
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    Domestic Violets: A Novel
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    Domestic Violets: A Novel
    Ebook394 pages5 hours

    Domestic Violets: A Novel

    By Matthew Norman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Hystericaland often touching. . . . Domestic Violets is a fast, fun, hilariousread." —Jessica Anya Blau, critically-acclaimed author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and DrinkingCloser to Home

    Inthe tradition of Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta comes Matthew Norman's Domestic Violets—adarkly comic family drama about one man’s improbable trials of love, loss, andambition; of attraction, impotence, and infidelity; and of mid-life malaise,poorly-planned revenge, and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9780062065124
    Author

    Matthew Norman

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

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    Reviews for Domestic Violets

    4/5

    157 ratings32 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Tom Violet is closing in on 35, and he has a number of problems. He cannot achieve the physical state necessary to have sex with his beautiful wife. His daughter Allie has drawn a picture of his mom’s new male “friend” to put on the refrigerator. His Pulitzer-prize winning and notoriously philandering father is not only distant, but has cast a huge shadow over Tom’s life. Tom works at a fatuous sell-out job writing corporate blurbs instead of writing a novel like he wants to do. And Katie, his young nubile assistant at work, is looking better to him every day. This is not a sad sack Walter Mitty type of tale; rather, it is a very clever and funny story that ends on a much more upbeat note than did James Thurber's story. Some of it will make you laugh out loud, and some of the more wistful parts can engender a few tears.Tom is intelligent, good-looking, witty, self-deprecating and self-destructive – a more or less faithful image of his famous father, Curtis. Curtis suspects Tom will make the same mistakes he did, and curiously begins to get involved in his son’s life. But it is separation from his father that Tom really needs to live a life that is all his own, instead of an imitation of the hero whose attention he could never quite hold. Evaluation: There’s not much more to the book except good writing, a lot of cleverness – maybe too much for real people to have – and a genuinely fun story to read. But what’s wrong with that?!! I have to say I like the similar Jonathan Tropper and Shalom Auslander better, but only because they add a bit of ethnic piquancy to an already satisfying meal.
    • 4/5
      Very humorous book about a struggling writer unhappy with his job, and what happens when he takes action. Thrown into the mix are relationships with his incredibly famous writer (and womanizer) father, his sweet step father, his wife, his daughter, his mother, and his crush at work. It sounds like a bunch of characters thrown into the mix, but it works beautifully. It's really amusing and while the ending seems a little too clean, it's worth a read. Bonus: the author got his MFA from the program I attended!
    • 5/5
      Loved this book! Alternatively hilarious and touching. The office scenes alone had me rooting for Tom. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
    • 5/5
      Domestic Violets is a total rarity in modern depressing fiction: a novel with witty dialogue,a page turning plot that should never end, and real life characters emerging as a literary laugh out loud original.Five pages in, what came to mind was "Can he possibly sustain this?!?"Amazingly, Matthew Norman did.His often oddball cast of characters remain honest, there is blessedly little foreshadowing,and Pulitzer Dad treats us to a scathing one line review of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.A couple of minor wonderings: leaving a dog alone in a car?alcohol after a cancer diagnosis? and a book left in a gym bag with a damp towel...?No fatalities here with dogs or humans (thank the gods) so many readers who love sarcasm,great plot twists, and true characters will be hoping that a successful bone marrow transplantwill give us many more years with a Great Sequel!
    • 3/5
      Domestic Violetsby Matthew NormanPublished by HarperCollins Publishers on 08/09/2011General FictionWHO: Tom Violet, an aspiring writer living in the shadow of his Pulitzer Prize- winning novelist-father…WHAT: is stuck in a dead-end job and a deteriorating marriage…WHERE: while doing time at the office and returning home to the upscale neighborhood of Georgetown (Washington, DC.) WHEN: In the weeks between the announcement of the Pulitzer Prize winners and the acceptance ceremony, Tom Violet’s father moves in with his son, adding to Tom’s struggle to remain afloat in a sea of implicit and explicit expectations. WHY: Tom walks a fine line between self-destruction and survival as he determines who he is…HOW: through his self-deprecating wit and boldness, and by negotiating the relationships of those most important in his life.+ This is a light read with an original and interesting, plot twist. Matthew Norman keeps a tight rein on the satire, keeping the tone suburban and never succumbing to the temptations of becoming too dark, scathing or maudlin. - The resolution of the story is somewhat awkwardly executed and vaguely unsatisfying. I’m not really sure I buy it as the story itself doesn’t sell it: There is a lack of narrative to support the transition from the selfish to the noble.- The same sensibility that kept the overall timbre of the novel light also denied the story the gravitas which would have hooked the reader to feeling Tom’s angst as opposed to watching it.OTHER: I purchased and dnloaded a digital eBook copy of Domestic Violets (by Michael Norman) during an eBook sale that HarperCollins was running in May, 2012. For some reason, I thought this was a lit-fic novel and had been putting it off until I was in the right frame of mind; but when I started reading it, I realized that the novel was more comedic in tone. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be enjoyable and quite refreshing. I would have found a similar novel from the point of view of the wife to be tired and done to death. But from Tom's view, it had humor as well as poignancy. I didn't find the book as humorous as some because Tom seemed depressed to me, though hiding it behind his jokes.I think many will be able to relate to Tom's boring job at what he refers to as the "Death Star" and the highlights of his day include annoying his uptight colleague who takes work too seriously, and his snack runs with his cute and much younger underling, Katie. So far, Katie is the only one to read Tom's novel and she loves it.But now Tom is feeling overshadowed by his very successful and Pulitzer-Prize winning author father, Curtis Violet. Also, his wife wants to have another baby and his erectile dysfunction is not helping matters.This was a really good novel, with some great characters and great writing. I highly recommend it!my rating 4.5/5
    • 5/5
      Tom Violet is a thirty-something husband and father working at a thankless corporate job in Washington DC. He’s just finished writing a book and although he’s too unsure of himself to actually show it to anyone, he dreams of becoming a famous novelist. It just so happens that his father, Curtis, IS a famous novelist and has just won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.It’s getting harder for Tom to stomach his life in the corporate world and to make matters worse, he and his wife haven’t been communicating very well lately. Then his father shows up at his door in the middle of the night after having been kicked out by his wife. It’s almost more than Tom can take.I picked this book because I had been reading so many great things about in around the blogosphere. I was afraid that, as often happens, my expectations would be too high and it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I couldn’t have been more wrong! This was a fabulous book – it’s hard to believe it’s Matthew Norman’s debut novel. The writing is so descriptive and beautiful. It’s also filled with the dry, sarcastic humor that I love. It has shades of Jonathan Tropper and also of the movie Office Space. Tom is obviously flawed but instantly likeable. Actually most of the characters in this book could be described that way. Everyone must read this book – I insist!
    • 4/5
      I love when I find a book that I make time in my day to read. There are some I pick up because I'm bored, and of course I regularly read at certain points in each day, but "Domestic Violets" was a novel that I was desperate to read, and I budgeted huge gaps of time to make it possible.The main character, Tom Violet, is like many other men. Thirty-something, trapped in a soul-crushing job, distanced from his wife and wondering why, worried about erectile dysfunction, and wishing for so much more from his life. He's unique in that his father, a charismatic novelist and Lothario, has just won the Pulitzer, and has moved in with Tom and his family because his latest beautiful-but-crazy wife has kicked him out due to his infidelity.Tom's voice is excellent, and his dry observations on marriage, parents, corporate silliness, and genders carry this novel even when the plot becomes a bit predictable -- happily, not until the end is near. It's a light and easy read with great depth and humor (my favorite kind!), and I was sad to say good-bye to Tom and Curtis Violet.
    • 5/5
      I heart Tom Violet! He is my first bookish crush. He's smart, creative, funny, and flawed - just the type of guy you want to marry and have babies with (yes, I still want to marry him in spite of that night with Katie). Tom is such a realistically drawn out character: he's struggling with his marriage; battling his arch nemesis, Gregory, at work; crushing on his assistant Katie; and dealing with the fact that his father, the famous Curtis Violet, has just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. You see, Tom wants to be a writer, too. He wants to produce something that will provide him with his own piece of glory, which is why he's bummed that no one (wife, mother, and almost agent) has read his book yet, to let him know just how awesome his writing is. Domestic Violets is a breath of fresh air - its clever, hilarious, honest and real, which makes it such a great book to read. Matthew Norman has truly hit it out of the park with his debut novel - not only has he demonstrated what a talented author he is with this cast of unforgettable characters, but he's also created this year's must read novel. I would most definitely recommend this novel to everyone! The writing is spot on and the story itself is so engaging that you can't help but find yourself so completely immersed in these character's lives that soon you are not only cheering them on to succeed, but also shedding a few tears when bad news finds them. Reading this book was such a treat, that I wish I hadn't read it in one day and instead taken my time with it so that I could prolong reaching the end. Now I can't wait for Norman's next book, because I'm sure its going to be just as brilliant as Domestic Violets was.
    • 2/5
      "When Lyle is gone and I've hung up the phone, I'm faced with the grim prospect of having do my job and write some more corporate propaganda."Tom Violet, 35, married to the beautiful and compassionate Anna and father of the adorable Allie, is a copywriter who is singularly uninspired by his job. To make matters worse, his adulterous, pot-smoking father has just won the Pulitzer Prize. So Tom's debut novel, slaved over in secret for years, looks like a non-starter. Oh, and he's struggling in bed, too.This is a bizarre mix of Then We Came To The End (to which I gave 10/10) and William Walker's First Year of Marriage: A Horror Story (2/10). Unfortunately, Domestic Violets had one of my least favourite types of protagonist: male, perfect family life, cynical, good at his job but apathetic and considers it beneath him, cringingly self-conscious, adulterous - in his mind or in actuality, makes no difference to me.The writing is quite good:"He's one of those aged pot smokers who kept at it while everyone else gave it up and got jobs and started quietly voting Republican.""Her eyes are big and she's jittery from all the excitement, like she's been sneaking handfuls of coffee beans since dinner, and I wish it was legal to fasten children to their beds.""It's like someone called a casting agency and requested an actor to play the part someone to annoy me.""We hold each other's eyes for a moment as he tries to crush my windpipe with his mind."But I wasted 3 hours on William Walker and wasn't going to make the same mistake with this one.One for fans of Nick Hornby.
    • 5/5
      I don't typically read stories with men as the main character, so this was new for me. It's not that I try to stay away from them, it's just most books I tend to read are narrated in a girl's tone.The book starts out with Tom Violet complaining about his flaccid penis. I've got to admit, this was a first for me. But surprisingly, as strange as it sounds, it drew me in. I wanted to know what was going to happen to this man.There were parts of the story the were a little predictable to me. Like some aspects of his father's life, among other things. But those didn't stop me from loving the book.There were also few parts where I absolutely could NOT put this book down. I felt my heart speed up and my stomach drop as something HUGE was about to take place. That, to me, is definitely the mark of a good book.I really felt like I connected with Tom, especially regarding his job. Being someone who doesn't love their job it was quite easy to relate. I loved Tom's sarcastic whit, it reminded me a lot of my own husband in a way.I felt invested in each of the relationships in the book. I cared what was going to happen to them and worried everything would fall apart.I'm so glad I read this book.
    • 5/5
      Based on the title and description for Domestic Violets I was expecting a light-hearted, comical, easy read. What a great surprise when I started reading and discovered it was so much more. Matthew Norman is one part Richard Russo and one part Michael Chabon with a dash of Nick Hornby. Domestic Violets is a sarcastic yet sentimental study of family, fathers and sons, and underachievement. Tom Violet is neglecting his marriage, plodding along in his dead in corporate job,more than a bit lost, but cautiously optimistic about the future. His gimlet-eyed view of himself and the world around him is refreshing and sometimes laugh out loud funny. Tom is smart, sarcastic, irreverent, and a bit immature, but he means well. I couldn't put the book down and wish I could have hung out with the Violets for much longer.
    • 4/5
      Contemporary novels depicting the tribulations of women are often referred to as 'Chick Lit.' If there is an opposite, I believe Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman has introduced an authentic 'Dude Lit' novel into the fictional world. This self-depreciating tale explores life's pit falls with a humorous edge and provides relatable circumstances that are complicated, but not entirely isolated because many adults face similar situations at some point in the work place, marriage and in familiar relationships. The male perspective is refreshing and I image it will be well-received by both women and men giving Dude Lit an advantage over Chick lit (read primarily by females). The story-line is predictable. Often, it is obvious where things are going and will end just as expected or anticipated. No surprises here. Men get a freer pass, a bit self-righteous in places, and the female characters are left to burden fault mixed with guilt due to the omission of truth and full disclosure. A plot twist seems opportunistic and given the father's ego, which is addressed the entire novel, I can't reconcile that he'd accept the offer presented by Tommy Violet. I understand why the author took this route, but I personally didn't like it. It was a convenient tie up of a loose end and an easy revelation. It was the path of least resistant and will give readers the over-all impression of a happy ending. The everyone wins, sort of, approach.
    • 4/5
      It can't be easy living in the shadow of a famous author parent, especially when deep down, you want nothing so much as to write too. Thirty-five year old Tom Violet has been writing a novel for years, a little afraid his work won't be as good as his father's. After all, Curtis Violet has won all the major literary prizes and has now finally won the Pulitzer for fiction. But Tom has more than just his fears about writing inadequacies to worry about. The novel opens with him in the bathroom bemoaning his flaccid penis while his wife patiently waits for him in their bed, his erectile dysfunction merely a symptom of a larger problem in their marriage. He loathes his work as a copywriter stuck in a soul-sucking corporate job in the midst of the financial meltdown. If Tom had ever grown-up, he might be having a midlife crisis, as it is, and despite his actual age, he's just coming of age into the messiness of life and wondering how he got to where he is now. As Tom wrestles with the place in which he finds himself, he endears himself, in all his self-deprecating glory, to the reader. He is a bit of a jerk, needling a co-worker he hates at every opportunity and fantasizing about a young and beautiful colleague, but at heart, he is a good guy, wanting everything to come out right for others, even if he's a little afraid of that kind of success and happiness for himself. The secondary characters, his father Curtis, wife Anna, step-father Gary, daughter Allie, are all wonderful, quirky, and eminently human. Tom's overwhelming anxiety, stress, and dissatisfaction with his life are very relatable for readers and his response to the setbacks he faces are perhaps the things we all wish we could do or say at one time or another. There's a magnificent dry humor at work throughout the novel and Norman has written an entertaining send-up of authors and the literary world through the person of Curtis Violet. As the title suggests, this is a domestic-centered novel and it succeeds in all the ways that it does without the pyrotechnics of Hollywood. Refreshing, humorous, and appealing, Domestic Violets is a book that shows us our present, sends us up, and delivers the good feeling that is so hard to pull off without being too treacle. A quick and entertaining read, you'll leave its pages wishing you could meet the slightly bumbling, slightly snarky Tom Violet yourself.
    • 4/5
      Tom has always lived in his father's shadow--he's a renowned author who has just won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (and just as renowned a womanizer). So Tom is keeping the fact that he has just finished his own book an extreme secret. What he is not keeping so secret is the fact that his job as a public relations copy-writer for a huge company makes him crazy. His daily clash with one of his uptight, tie-wearing co-workers is laugh out loud funny. What's not so funny is the fact that Tom is experiencing erectile dysfunction and it's beginning to crush his marriage. Factor in his most recent crazy step-mother, his own mother leaving his big hearted stepfather, the enticing 23 year old copy-writer in his office and the possibility that his wife is having an affair, it wasonly a matter of time before Tom went berserk. And boy did he ever!Norman has a lyric writing style that made me frequently stop and re-read a sentence or two because it was so beautifully written. This book deals with some profoundly difficult issues with tremendous humor without ever degrading the pain and drama that were involved in them. This is his debut novel. I certainly will be eagerly watching for more from him in the future--he's got the making of a powerful voice in fiction.
    • 5/5
      I finished reading this book last night before bed, and since then I have been looking forward to writing this review. Can I just say how much I adored reading this book? I said earlier that this was the best book I have read so far this year, and I meant it. I loved every little thing about it. As soon as this book hits the stores, I am going to go buy a copy for my personal library. Domestic Violets opens a little bit strangely, with its main character Tom having a little problem with erectile dysfunction. Therefore, I was a little bit worried about how the book would play out. It turns out though, that I shouldn't have worried. The story was strange, funny, quirky, pathetic, and absolutely a joy to read. As a reader and reviewer, when a book is great you just know it. This will be a story that just resonates with its readers like it did me. I am physically sad that it is over. Let's talk about the characters for a second, because they are what push the story over the edge into fabulous territory. There's Tom Violet, who is so likeable and flawed at the same time that it makes him feel like a real person and not just a character. Tom hates his job in corporate America, he loves his wife Anna, but the passion has gone out of their relationship. Tom develops a crush on the other copywriter at work. This makes his marriage even worse, because he keeps comparing his relationship with Anna to his relationship with Katie. Then there is the fact that his father is a famous, award winning writer. Tom idolizes his father, but is afraid his marriage will end up failed just like all of the relationships Curtis has had. Tom is also writing a book, but has been afraid to show it to anyone but Katie, because he is afraid that they will hate it. Aside from all those story elements, there is a quirky cast of characters who all feel like they could have existed in the world that I personally inhabit. This is a book for readers, writers, and lovers of books. It's a story about normal people in an insane everyday world, dealing with real life problems. The things that happen in this novel could easily happen to you and me. And that's what makes it so great. Full of dry humor and a whole lot of love, Domestic Violets is a book that everyone should pick up. I would stand out on a street corner in the pouring rain and promote this book for free. That's how much I loved it. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Highly recommended by me.
    • 2/5
      Did not finish. I got so terribly tired of hearing of the complaints of a middle aged white man after the first 15 pages, then after another 15 I wanted to die. The protaganist, Tom Violet, was just so dramatically self-obsessed. I suppose the book's about him and he has a right to whine as much as he'd like, but really- hearing about erectile dysfunction and lusting after a colleague? Not terribly creative.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book - well written, entertaining, funny. A book about authors and writing - what's not to like?
    • 4/5
      One of the characters in Domestic Violets remarks that most first novels are autobiographical. Whether or not they’re autobiographical, it seems to me that a lot of first novels tend to be reminiscent of other people’s novels. That’s not meant to say that they can be derivative; it’s more likely due to the fact that a new author doesn’t have an established record yet, so he or she really can’t be easily evaluated against his own catalog. This can work either for or against them, depending on the connections a reader makes between the new author’s work and other fiction that seems similar--and with Domestic Violets, just about all of my associations were favorable.I think it’s an interesting comment on how quickly we process current events in the 21st century that Domestic Violets was published in the early autumn of 2011, and its events very specifically take place in the early autumn of 2008. The presidential election and the spread of the Great Recession both influence what’s happening to Tom Violet. Having said that, Domestic Violets isn’t about either of those events; as its rather punny title implies, this novel is firmly located in the domestic-fiction sphere. Its concerns--marital strains, friction between parents and adult children, career dissatisfaction--are everyday and entirely relatable, although in most everyday lives they’re not as funny.The humor runs high in Domestic Violets, as narrator/protagonist Tom Violet relies on it as a coping mechanism for the chaos of his life. He’s just worked up the nerve to show people the novel he’s been working on secretly for five years, while his world-famous novelist father has finally won the Pulitzer Prize--and moved into his spare bedroom, He and his wife Anna are in what’s best described as a “rough patch,” and his attraction to his young coworker isn’t helping smooth that out. The attractive coworker, and the amusement of an ongoing feud with a MUCH less attractive coworker, may be his primary reasons for going to the office each day, because the work holds almost no attraction at all. Things are pretty clearly on the verge of falling apart...and they do, quite entertainingly. Seeing how Tom picks up the pieces is quite entertaining as well.As I mentioned earlier, Domestic Violets reminded me of several other novels and novelists--all favorably. Matthew Norman’s style is his own, but his approach to some aspects of the novel reminded me of Jonathan Tropper and Greg Olear, while some of the work-oriented sections brought to mind Joshua Ferris’ Then We Came to the End. But Norman’s depictions of the domestic misadventures of literary people, particularly in the later portions of the novel, most made me think of Michael Chabon’s second novel, Wonder Boys. Chabon’s one of my very favorite authors, and Wonder Boys is my favorite of his books, so my connecting Domestic Violets with it is a very good thing for Matthew Norman and the future of our reading relationship.
    • 4/5
      BOOK DESCRIPTIONTom Violet is having a midlife crisis. Besides suffering from erectile dysfunction, he thinks his wife Anna might be having an affair. His dog Hank suffers from anxiety. Although the manuscript he’s been secretly working on for years is finally finished, his father Curtis has just been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. (In addition, Curtis seems to have left his latest wife and moved in with Tom and his family.) His job at a soul-killing corporation writing copy filled with meaningless buzzwords bores him to tears. He makes work bearable by needling his arch-nemesis Gregory. The only good thing? His relationship with his cute young coworker Katie … who seems like she might reciprocate his inappropriate feelings towards her. What’s a sarcastic, frustrated writer with a larger-than-life father and a hot wife who doesn’t seem to need him anymore do to get his life back on track?MY THOUGHTSThis book was a hoot! Although this is his debut novel, Norman writes with self-assurance and gives Tom a blackly comic voice that tickled my funny bone and had me wondering just how he was going to work through all his problems. The book reminded me a bit of Jonathan Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You, in that both deal with wacky, dysfunctional families with major issues to tackle. I mean this as a very high compliment, as I adored Tropper’s book.Although most of us probably couldn’t relate to having a father who is one of the greatest living American writers when our secret aspiration is to be a writer, most of us can relate to soul-killing jobs in offices that are full of backstabbing, empty buzzwords and nebulous goals. The sections where Tom is at work were my favorites. They brought back memories from my own office experiences.I also thought that the marriage between Tom and Anna felt true and lived in. Although both of them are seeking attention and validation outside of the marriage, they still love each other and are trying to find a way back to each other. I think most long-term marriages might go through patches like this—where the person we love is almost too familiar and trapped with us in the drudgery of daily life to be exciting and appealing. In addition, the relationship that Tom has with his coworker Katie seemed believable. I’ve observed several situations in my own life when the coworker relationship crossed some kind of line without straying all the way to affair. It is a curious dynamic that I haven’t seen addressed too often in fiction, and it was interesting to see how it developed.The book is a fun, fast read, and I look forward to finding out what Norman writes next. Recommended for readers who enjoy narrators with a sarcastic sense of humor, flaws and messed-up lives just like most of us!
    • 4/5
      Tom Violet is having a bad day, well, actually a bad life. His sex life is down the drain, his famous father just won the Pulitzer Prize for a book he wrote years ago, he has a dead end job and HIS book will never be published. When his father shows up in his home (actually his father owns the house Tom lives in) states he just left his wife and proceeds to get drunk, Tom really thinks it can't get any worse. Then his mother's husband, Gary shows up as well. If all this sounds depressing, it really isn't since I think I laughed my way through much of this book. This story puts the FUN in dysfunctional. Tom is such and endearing character that you want to take him home, give him a drink and a quiet room and tell him everything is going to be ok. His dark sarcasm and wit are just icing on the cake. This really reminded me a bit of a cross between Carl Hiaasen and Christopher Moore, well, if Moore wrote without paranormal elements. It is funny, because a friend saw this book before I did and sent me an immediate message that this book was perfect for me! It has exactly all of the things I love in a good read: compelling characters, a bit of wackiness and snark. I prize snark over all else.
    • 4/5
      Another smart, witty comedy by a male author – I am on a roll this year and loving it. I fully admit to being one of those readers who is lured by pretty, magical covers and I dodged around this book numerous times in the bookstore because it just didn’t grab me – but then I started seeing reviews.. and those reviews spoke really, really well of this book.So … I gave it a shot.I am so glad I did. Once again, I am reminded never to judge a book by its cover. This story had me in tears, it had me groaning with pity, it had me just completely entertained for hours and hours. I savored the story, enjoying how well-crafted it was and I felt like I was reading a book that didn’t pull its punches. When I finally read the final page I felt as if I was saying goodbye to friends, and that, folks, is story-telling. I connected with these characters and I wanted more.I’ll definitely be looking for more stories from Mr. Norman – which I hope is soon, because I do not necessarily want to be reading his book on developing web applications!Check this one out if you enjoy smart contemporary stories.
    • 5/5
      Book Review - Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman Mathew Norman Domestic Violets Format: e-book Edition (Kindle) File Size: 652 KB Print Length: 352 pages Publisher: Harper Perennial Publication Date: August 9, 2011 ASIN: B004NNUX66Tom Violet’s life train is headed for a disastrous and inevitable derailment and he isn’t even aware of it yet. His job is in jeopardy, his wife is unhappy and worse, and he’s a consummate crack-up who can’t hold his tongue. Add an entire suitcase full of daddy issues and you have an entirely engaging and entertaining work of fiction. But Tom is one of those fortunate people who find that sometimes when life calls for changes you roll with the punches and change. Certain reviews of Domestic Violets have categorized this book as chick-lit but it is far from that. As a matter of fact it isn’t for or about love at all. Pure and simple it is satire of the highest degree. Life, relationships, boring jobs, publishing, sex, drugs, etc. nothing is safe from the critical eye of Matthew Norman.However, the real reason this story works so well is the amount of clever and witty humor that first appeared on page one and never ended. At times, Norman had me in stitches. At others he had me in tears. And do you know why? Because he understands the human condition and while giving the readers a sense of the absurd he also hit the nail on the head more often than not. He told us in simple terms what people think, and feel, and say when their relationships are in trouble and in an odd way he also told us what they say and think and feel when they need to repair a failing relationship. This is a story to savor. It is well- crafted, funny, down-to-earth, flows quickly, and has that “it” quality I look for in every book; that page turning what-the-heck happens-next-oh-crap-this-is-totally-entertaining-and-wow-am-I-enjoying-myself-quality that you don’t often find in fiction these days.Anyone reading my reviews for very long would see that this is obviously not my normal bill-of-faire but on the advice of a friend (thanks Lisa) I gave it a try and found myself enjoying every page of this finely crafted novel. Do yourself a favor. Pick up Domestic Violets today. Give it a read and see if you don’t agree.4 ½ stars out of 5The Alternative Southeast Wisconsin
    • 5/5
      If there's ever anything I like in life, it's humor. Whether it's dry, moist, or any varying degree in between. Perhaps that's why I found Domestic Violets to be so refreshingly plainspoken. This book is a satire. From the very first page, it was obvious. It is a satire about everything. Life. Relationships. The boring, daily job. It also includes snippets of almost current events. If you enjoy satires as much as I do, then this book is a definite must.As much as I like this book, it was a little slow in the beginning. I feel that a good portion of the book was dedicated to establishing the setting. When I say good, it isn't in a good way either (bad writing there, but oh well, who reads these anyways?). But when the book picks up steam, it doesn't let up until you read to the back cover.[Insert witty, closing line here]*Thanks Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for a copy of this book, it will have an honorary place on my bookshelf*
    • 3/5
      While this was mostly fun, there were a lot of elements to this book that I found irritating. Probably foremost was that I didn't believe in the main characters as English Literature majors, but I was also not thrilled with the way the marriage problems resolved themselves (trying to avoid spoilers, but I just didn't feel that he treated his wife all that well).Still, a fun read about marriage, mid-life crises and identity, with a lot of stuff happening along the way. Infidelity! Terminal illness! The pulitzer! The recession!
    • 3/5
      The book is a contemporary fiction story set in New York and Washington D.C. Tom, the main protagonist, is in a dead end job, has a shaky marriage, deals with uncooperative body parts and a father who just won the Pulitzer prize in literature. As an aspiring writer himself, this is all just a bit much for Tom as he turns to a sexy co-worker for comfort, unleashes his caustic humor against another co-worker, and self medicates with alcohol and Viagra. Throw in a little cancer and a poor round of golf and you have the summing up of the pitfalls of life in modern America. The story was predictable, but I have to say that Tom has some great one liners that made me laugh. He stumbles his way into making some adult decisions and the book ends on an upbeat note. A casual, at times funny 3 star read.
    • 4/5
      Tom Violet’s life isn’t what he had hoped it would be. Working for a soul-crushing company where his only jollies come from tormenting his overbearing and obnoxious coworker Gregory, Tom feels stuck and unfulfilled. He also may or may not have a crush on his pretty young assistant Katie, a woman who is as intelligent as she is beautiful. His father is one of the foremost American authors and has just won the Pulitzer, a fact which makes Tom proud and envious all at the same time. Topping it all off, Tom’s penis seems to be malfunctioning, a problem exacerbated by the fact that his wife, Anna, is trying to become pregnant again. Though Tom has been languishing as a desk jockey for several years, he’s just completed his first novel, a fact he’s keeping secret from just about everybody, hoping he’ll one day become an author of the same caliber as his father. When the economic crisis hits, Tom’s job situation suddenly becomes dubiously strange, and while his feelings for Katie begin to mount, Tom’s relationship with his wife is becoming more and more complicated. Soon Tom finds himself at a sticking point at work, at home, and with his novel. Will his self-deprecating wit and verve be enough to save him from sinking, or will Tom go under, desperately trying to cling to all he could possibly lose? In this hilariously funny and inventive debut, Matthew Norman gives us Tom Violet in all his goofball glory and takes us on a journey filled with laughter, absurdity and surprising poignancy.This is another book I felt had a lot of appeal due to it’s effortless comedy. In Norman’s portrayal of sassy and witty Tom, there was hardly a page that didn’t have me snorting with laughter. It was obvious that Tom’s humor was an attempt to give himself a lot of the bravado that he felt had suddenly slipped away from his life, and that his hilarious asides were somewhat of a mask that he placed over his insecurities and self-doubt. It was a coping mechanism, and while it was intensely satisfying to read, smoothing out the narrative and giving the story its zest, it was also very humbling to witness the mental contortions that were basically keeping Tom afloat while his world began to slowly crash down around him.And believe me, Tom had a lot going on. While at first it only seemed like one area of his life needed improvement (his job), soon all the other areas began to fray in a rapid and destructive way. I think that while the sections that focused on Tom’s job provided a lot of levity, there was a realness to what he was going through that many people will recognize. I particularly loved Tom’s interactions with Gregory because I think his unusual form of getting Gregory’s goat was something that office denizens all over would applaud. These scenes were comic gold in my eyes, and for me, the most exciting parts of the book. Tom is also conflicted by the feelings that he has for his coworker, Katie, and though he tries to be as altruistic as possible about the trajectory of their relationship, the reality is much more unmanageable. I believe that Katie represented to Tom his fleeting youth and his desire to once again be carefree and desired. I also believe that these scenes were intensely realistic and at times emotionally tense. Every flicker of attraction that passed between them felt illicit and dangerous, though it was thinly veiled with the ever-present humor and lightheartedness that was a constant fixture of this book.Tom’s familial relationships were also areas that were filled with potential landmines. While his desire for his wife, Anna, is palpable, there was definitely something awry with their relationship, and Norman does a great job of making his readers really think about what’s going on (or not going on, as it were) with them. Tom loves Anna and she loves him, but there’s something just blow the surface that’s causing disrepair between them, and it’s not so easy for him to wish it away. Like Tom’s relationship with Anna, things between Tom and his father, Curtis, aren’t always easy to put the proverbial finger on either. Curtis is a arrogant and loud philanderer, and though father and son are very different, Curtis and Tom may share more traits than one might think. Add to this Curtis’ new and random presence in his son’s life, and Tom isn’t the only one asking questions. Curtis is who Tom wishes to be, his success and magnetism both a lure and a tool for deflection, and though there are things about his father that Tom dislikes, his admiration and wonder for the man leaves him puzzling over his own life and the motives he has for writing his novel.This was a book that managed to be both surprisingly funny yet also very deep, and it was a read that I had no problem getting invested in. It was a lot of fun to get a chance to hang out with the ever effervescent and wacky Tom, and the plot was far from predictable. I think Matthew Norman has a great career ahead of him, and he’s an author whom I’ll be watching. As a side note, this book also contains an author interview in the postscript that had me tearing up with laughter, and it’s not to be missed. An all-star book, highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining book. Brings you back to 2008 when the economy was Imploding, and everyone thought voting for Obama was a fix. Tom Violet works as a copywriter for a company that is soul crushingly boring, writing about product releases using all of the ridiculous business terms out here. You know: granular, stakeholders, WIIFM, KPI. Needles to say he hates his job.On the domestic front he is having trouble in the intimacy department with his wife, and not even fantasizing about his 22 year intern help.Enter his world famous author dad and who is separating from his fourth wife who is 6 months younger than Tom, and batshit crazy, and you get a very entertaining book about what to do when the life you have isn't working, and how to exit a job with hilarious results.I loved this book.
    • 4/5
      loved this book. read it in 2 days! very funny, but also sad and moving! the main character goes through a midlife crisis of sorts and decides he really wants to be a writer. I loved all the characters, even the dog, hank!!! :)
    • 5/5
      I absolutely adored this book! I could have done without the GD's and the JC's (being the Christian that I am) but other than that, pure entertainment. I could relate to this story in a lot of ways if Tom were female.