An Invisible Sign of My Own
July 9th, 2008by Aimee Bender
ISBN: 9780385492249
This is a novel about OCD and math.
Yes, really. It’s also about growing up, mortality, and risk. And small town eccentrics, the limits of family bonds, and how you should never put a sharp ax in a second grade classroom.
Bender can pull all this off because weird stories are what she excels at. At first this novel seemed a bit much — imagine eating something very tasty, but very rich or very sweet — because I’m used to Bender in morsel-sized amounts, not multi-course fair. But her story came together, in its strangeness and obsession and wonder.
Bender is so crisp and spare and oddly sharp, I think short stories suit her style better. So while I prefer her in short form, I do think this novel is worth your time if you are a fan of oddball fiction. Mona Gray, inspirational but unbalanced math teacher to small children, is not to be missed.
