Clown and Harlequin, Picasso

BLUE RUBEN

A Novel

By Henry LeBas

Copyright 2026

High comedy meets low culture when a small-time showman rises from the ruins of his life to find fame, fortune, and misfortune on the worldwide stage.

Hal is the neglected son of a New Orleans dentist turned puppet master. When his marriage fails and his life unravels, he reinvents himself as the sad king and reinvents Ruben, his late father’s puppet, as his jester.

The wise-cracking duo quickly becomes an internet sensation, attracting a New York reporter, Selena Sanchez, and a New York talent agent, Les Webb. Hal moves to Manhattan and rises to riches as the voice of Ruben. Les becomes the puppeteer of the Hal and Ruben act, pulling the strings, marketing the brand, converting lofty aspirations to lowbrow fare.

From one madcap experience to the next, Hal clashes with Les, falls hard for Selena, and struggles with the absurdities of fame, as he searches for love and a meaningful life.