A rather sorry case of art perverting life

Neither a successful whodunit nor genuinely funny, Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif's new novel is riddled with clichés and poor writing

- Rahul Jacob

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

(GETTY IMAGES)

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 a country of perpetual conspiracy theories, a significant number of the population do not believe the “feudal despot in the clothes of an awami pseudo socialist” has, in fact, been hanged. A reasonable number, meanwhile, are so appalled by the hanging and are such blind Bhutto followers that they are burning themselves to death—or planning to. Enter Captain Gul from the Field Intelligence Unit who must tackle both ends of the spectrum. He arrives at his new posting in OK Town, where the novel is set, while dealing with persistent calls from a pregnant girlfriend.