Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles

by Kira Henehan

Overview

Immediately captivating, Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles introduces readers to Finley, an investigator of indiscernible origins and prowess who is assigned to a mysterious Professor Uppal and his puppets.

The nature of the investigation isn’t clear, but Finley nonetheless forges ahead, with occasional assistance from her colleagues Murphy, The Lamb, and Binelli, as well as the professor’s beautiful daughter and her sinister boyfriend. The investigation circles in on itself until Finley realizes that she may be close to discovering the truth about her forgotten life.

Both whimsical and deeply serious, Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles casts a shadow that touches on literary novels, noir, and philosophical pursuits, bringing them all into the singularity of existence itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781571310750
Publisher:	Milkweed Editions
Publication date:	05/04/2010
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

Editorial Reviews

The protagonists in this debut novel are young adults living in contemporary England, somewhere near Battersea. The narrator, Finley, is a self-proclaimed investigator on an assignment having something to do with Professor Uppal's puppets. Another main character writes and puts on a play near the novel's end. And that's about all the action in this cleverly written exposition of noir atmosphere and skillful wordplay. The characters hang around a place called the Tiki Barn, where the eccentric, deviled egg-loving Tiki Ty cooks mouthwatering shrimp and dipping sauce. All types of characters enter the Barn for tasty treats, and our "detective" is constantly surveying them as well as the bookstore and vintage surfing memorabilia available. VERDICT Henehan has started out well by winning the Milkweed National Fiction Prize for this book, and one hopes she'll continue her thoughtful investigations into language, behavior, and all types of mysteries. Recommended for young adult/adult readers who like a rollicking fun read that tickles the brain.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, National Coll., Youngstown, OH

Library Journal

Finley—red-haired, yellow-eyed, sometimes unreliable—narrates a sublime and cryptic debut in the vein of Sam Lipsyte's The Subject Steve about a group of detectives (or maybe they're not detectives) investigating a peculiar professor. Among the group is Murphy, with his pockets full of marbles and a tendency to be inexplicably smelly; Binelli, the almost omniscient leader of the crew; and the Lamb, who is beautiful and brilliant, or possibly just great at acting brilliant. The dreamy plotlike chain of events at the novel's center revolves around the four detectives trying to find some information of some sort about Professor Uppal and his amazing puppets, though the goals, specifically, are never quite clear, and Henehan finds plenty of time for bizarre asides. At its heart, the novel is an impressionistic tale propelled by Henehan's gorgeously arch prose and a constant stream of droll humor. The ephemeral plotting will either be frustrating or fabulous, depending on the reader, but there's no doubt that Henehan is a talent. (May)

Publishers Weekly