New Delhi, March 21 -- The Rebel English Academy, which is the backdrop for Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif's new novel of the same name, is instantly recognisable to anyone in the subcontinent. It is an English language coaching school, helping prospective job seekers get a leg up in an unequal world in which not speaking English is almost an instant disqualifier.

Hanif's fictional variation on this theme comes with wacky characteristics. Sir Baghi, who runs the academy, is a lapsed socialist and atheist. He is not shy about propagating his socialist views and atheism while teaching English, even though his school is on the premises of a mosque.

The book begins with the hanging of former Pakistani prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In...