Norman Boutin and His Ego

Egotism is a trait of Norman Boutin that comes out very clearly in his interactions with people online, especially towards critics of his book.

Narcissism

According to the DSM-5, traits of someone with Narcissistic Personality Disorder include:

• "Ego-centrism; self-esteem derived from personal gain, power, or pleasure."
• "Goal-setting based on personal gratification..."
• "Lack of concern for feelings, needs, or suffering of others; lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another."
• "Incapacity for mutually intimate relationships, as exploitation is a primary means of relating to others, including by deceit and coercion; use of dominance or intimidation to control others."

Pathological traits include utilizing manipulation and deceit, and exhibiting callousness and hostility.

Many of these traits are seen in Norman Boutin's handling of critics, as well as his statements towards people elsewhere.

Self-Importance

Norman Boutin often exhibits beliefs that he has greater reach or power than he truly has. For example, he once said in an Amazon comment, regarding facts about his book: "I may put them on my website sometime where thousands of people will read them, unlike this place where nobody comes." Norman Boutin truly believes that his website has greater coverage than Amazon, one of the largest websites on the internet.

Even more astounding is how Norman Boutin presumes that his book is greater than many literary classics that have stood the test of time. He's openly stated that a teen would prefer to read Empress Theresa than Animal Farm, as well as other classic books like Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Gone With the Wind. He's gone so far as to suggest that Empress Theresa should be part of high school English classes:

I've noticed that on lists of books assigned to high school English classes, lists collected by academic services,  among the books read in class are such stories as George Orwell's 1984, Orwell's Animal Farm, and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. A 16 year old high school girl a few miles from here read 1984 in her school. Really?  I'm astonished!  How infinitely more interesting and entertaining the students would have found Empress Theresa.

Norman Boutin even criticizes published and well recognized authors. For example, he called Stephen King's books "trash." While it is perfectly fine for someone to have a negative opinion of a popular author's work, it's quite clear that Norman Boutin intends to bash Stephen King while at the same time praising his own work, hence suggesting that the author of several best selling books is a hack compared to Empress Theresa.

Norman has also claimed that Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare, had they read Empress Theresa, would have loved the book. Even more interesting is Norman's use of the past tense in one of those posts ("...as Shakespeare would say when he read and loved my book..."); this use of the past tense is often employed by God in regards to His eternal being.

In addition to writing, Norman Boutin has spoken highly of his artwork, considering it far better than the artwork of others. This was seen in his exchange over at the website Lousy Book Covers.

Nathan, That is not the latest cover. It is the KINDLE edition cover which hasn’t been updated yet ( except in the KINDLE Store ) The latest cover can be seen in the Paperback version. The sky is a darker blue than in the version you showed. In any case, you didn’t put it up at the head of the thread where it should be and where it would be seen by people. I knew you wouldn’t. It would make your sad cover designs look ridiculous. Latest cover design can be seen on empresstheresa.com,

Delusions of Grandeur

As seen above, Norman Boutin has stated that he believes Empress Theresa deserves to be part of required reading at all high schools. He has told others with absolute certainty that their daughters would read Empress Theresa, as it would be required reading in Catholic high schools everywhere.

He has likewise claimed there would be an "Oscar-winning Empress Theresa movie." Not only that, but he believes it will have "multiple Oscar nominations," not only for best picture but for best actress, best supporting actor (two characters will be nominated, in fact!), best screenplay, best set design, best cinematography, and best special effects. Norman has even stated that his "real objective is that the book be made into a movie," which he believes will be "an instant hit, an eye popping spectacle," adding, "If the movie is made and made well I don't care if nobody but the movie producer reads the book."

In response to critic TL Knighton, who had been publisher of The Albany Journal, Norman replied: "So you took a dying newspaper out of print and put in on the internet? Well, that’s a great accomplishment! Who will remember it twenty years from now? Empress Theresa will be remembered forever." In the same response, Norman states that "quotes from the book will be part of the vernacular."

Omniscience

A common criticism against Empress Theresa and Norman Boutin's rants is that he covers a wide array of topics (religion, politics, government agencies, etc.) and yet exhibits very little working knowledge of how they operate, or how they would work in a certain situation. A variety of situations are full of plotholes when compared to how such situations would actually operate in real life (eg., guards permitting Theresa to lug a bag of coke bottles around up to her execution), while the solutions given for certain dilemmas make absolutely no sense (eg., all of Israel leaving their homeland).

Detachment from Reality

Norman Boutin has often demonstrated a lack of understanding between what is reality and what is imagination - namely, the world as it exists within Empress Theresa and the way the world actually functions.

One example is how, if Norman Boutin is corrected on the lack of realism concerning how people react or how nations function in Empress Theresa, he acts as if those situations and solutions in his novel have actually happened. It is not his fault that things do not make sense; it is the fault of the reader for not grasping the wonderful scenario which he as placed before them in this literary world.

Norman Boutin will quote Empress Theresa and situations within and attempt to apply them to the real world. For example, he quotes Theresa saying that people want to kill her even though she hasn't done anything, then asks why so many critics wish to "kill an eighteen year old girl who has done nothing to anybody?" Hence Norman Boutin places criticizing a book on the same level as killing a girl, This is because, in his mind, characters in the book trying to kill Theresa is the same thing as critics not liking the book Theresa exists in. This would be the equivalent of someone not liking the Harry Potter series, and JK Rowling claiming that they are just as bad as Voldemort.

Norman Boutin has also quoted Empress Theresa in order to make truth statements. For example, after stating that Empress Theresa would be remembered forever, Norman quotes Theresa saying, "Prime Minister Blair said I’d still be remembered in a million years." Hence, because his book says it will be remembered for a million years, it must be true.