Domestic Violets

June 20, 2011
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 charactersâthe pompous writer, his tough agent, the trophy wifeâthis is a thoroughly entertaining, light but thoughtful read.