Picture This

Absurd, animated, and abundant in mischief, The Abduction of Seven Forgers is the latest work from the novelist and playwright Sean Dixon, whose 2014 drama, A God in Need of Help, was nominated for a Governor General’s Award. With characteristic wit and whimsy, Dixon offers an intricate meta-narrative: the novel presents as the manuscript of a memoir penned by the protagonist, complete with sketches, strike-throughs, redactions, and morphing typography. He successfully balances hilarity with poignancy in an unorthodox package.

The young artist Olive believes herself “ugly” because of “physical challenges,” including a hunchback, a deviated septum, and an unidentifiable skin condition that “looks sort of like a combination of eczema and a strange loss of pigment around my eyes that leaves me looking racoonish.” Accordingly, she chases “the beauty of the world” with...