Patrick deWitt: Undermajordomo Minor

Patrick deWitt's latest book, Undermajordomo Minor, follows his penchant for building humiliation into his novels. Just as with his previous work, The Sisters Brothers, the protagonist in Undermajordomo Minor has a female name, adding to the potential misunderstanding and hurtful teasing. deWitt isn't sure why he does this, preferring to defer to instinct and whether or not something feels right, rather than kowtowing to intellect and its processes. The length of his books are determined along the same instinct – once he gets bored, he simply stops writing.

Read an excerpt from Undermajordomo Minor.

Photo: Danny Palmerlee