India, April 28 -- A page into The Dog Meows and The Cat Barks by Eka Kurniawan, I was laughing hysterically. Something about a boy rebelling against rigid moral and religious codes feels both refreshing and wickedly funny. Sato's rebellion doesn't just make readers root for him; it makes them complicit in his gleeful mission to corrupt boys who believe they must constantly guard themselves against the devil.

At first glance, all seems well with the protagonist growing up in a small Indonesian town. That sense of normalcy ends when he is circumcised. The loss of his foreskin is accompanied by a loss of freedom and a metaphorical loss of his individuality. Post-circumcision, Sato's father becomes unbearably strict. He embarrasses the boy ...