Synopsis
'The funniest, most poignant novel of the year' - Vogue
For fans of Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, Disorientation is an uproarious and big-hearted satire – alive with sharp edges, immense warmth, and a cast of unforgettable characters – that asks: who gets to tell our stories?
Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her PhD dissertation on the much-lauded poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about ‘Chinese-y’ things again, when she accidentally stumbles upon a strange note in the Chou archives that she thinks may be her ticket out of academic hell.
But Ingrid has no idea that the note will lead to an explosive secret, upending her entire life and the lives of those around her. Her clumsy exploits to discover the truth set off a rollercoaster of mishaps and misadventures, from campus protests and over-the-counter drug hallucinations, to book burnings and a movement that stinks of Yellow Peril propaganda. In the aftermath, she’ll have to question everything, from her relationship with her fiancé to the kind of person she dares to be.
'The funniest novel I’ve read all year' - Aravind Adiga, author of The White Tiger
'Fearless' - Observer
'Elaine Hsieh Chou's pen is a scalpel' - Raven Leilani, author of Luster
Details
Reviews
“Chou’s pen is a scalpel. Disorientation addresses the private absurdities the soul must endure to get free, from tokenism, the quiet exploitation of well-meaning institutions, and the bondage that is self-imposed. Chou does it with wit and verve, and no one is spared.”Raven Leilani, author of Luster
“An irreverent campus satire that skewers white sclerotic academia, creepy Asian fetishists and twee boba tea liberalism . . . Helmed by a memorable screwball protagonist, the novel is both a joyous and sharply-drawn caper”Cathy Park Hong
“A multivalent pleasure, a deeply original debut novel that reinvents the campus novel satire as an Asian American literary studies whodunnit . . . Wickedly funny and knowing, Chou’s dagger wit is sure-eyed”Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
“The funniest, most poignant novel of the year”Vogue, Vogue
