Rory Collins accidentally misses his mother’s funeral and then learns she committed suicide and he’s to blame. This is shortly after he impregnated two virgins he felt sorry for. It was a rough sophomore year of college by any standards.
For more than twenty years, Brian Kiley has delighted me with his inventive and prolific wit, so it is no surprise that he has written such a terrific novel. The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins is boldly comedic, poignant, dark, unpredictable, and just plain fun. Congratulations, Brian, I am bitterly jealous.

-Conan O'Brien

Brian Kiley’s unique genius as a standup comedian rests on his ability to project innocence and sweet-natured guilelessness even as his imagination leads you to some dark and strange places. The same and then some can be said for the title character of Kiley’s terrific first novel, The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins. Haunted by the specter of the world’s worst mom, Rory enters manhood as the sort of timid, passive shlump whom predators can spot a mile off. Yet as you follow him from one picaresque episode to another-ill-advised sex, barroom brawls, and abusive bosses-you can’t help but pull for the guy. At heart he’s just a kind, decent person trying to make sense of a bizarro world. Not surprisingly, the book has its share of great lines and laugh-out-loud moments. But there’s more going on. From the deceptively powerful opening scene to the devastating final line, Astounding Misadventures marks the emergence of a new literary voice. The gentle intelligence of Kiley’s prose reminds me of the great comedian-turned-author, Steve Martin, with the possible difference that while Martin’s characters seek peace and quiet above the fray, Kiley’s plunge headfirst into the tragicomic messiness of life.

-Charles Slack, author of Hetty , The Noble Obsession and Blue Fairways

If you like dark, dry humor–and I do–you will love this story of a young man from such a dysfunctional family that his only dream is to be normal. Instead, what he learns is that no one is really normal, and that the most important goal is to love and be loved. Raised by a psychotic mother and a passive father, Rory is also painfully passive, until a moment of rebellion in a supermarket changes the course of his life and sets him on the path to fulfillment and happiness. Laughs abound, and the ending is surprisingly touching.

-Judith Arnold

Read this. I loved it. The author’s writing is so precise. I fell in love with Rory from the beginning and my heart broke a little in each of his misadventures. But don’t worry, the book is hilarious. Each chapter is like a little joke – and it all leads to a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.

-Karen Bergreen, author of Pretty Polly