Book Review: Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

The Gist: Disorientation is a gripping campus novel that uses satire to confront bias and complicity in academic spaces.

Series: Standalone

Release Date: March 22, 2022

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 5-stars

•••

Disorientation follows our protagonist, Ingrid, as she wraps up her PhD. One problem (of many, as we soon find out) is that Ingrid hates her PhD subject. To find some inspiration (or, let’s be real, a distraction), Ingrid decides to chase up an archival clue that ends up upending everything she thought she knew about her PhD subject, university, and herself. What results is the reveal of an explosive secret, which pushes her into the middle of a scandal that creates dividing lines across campus.

Satire and Light Academia

Reading the blurb, I knew that Disorientation would be a 5-star read. What drew me into the book and made me confident that it would be a contender for my favourite book of the year was its sharp critique of the graduate school and PhD university experience. The book satirizes academia’s entrenchment in oppressive and Eurocentric norms.

Disorientation‘s real strength lies in its satire, which dramatizes right-wing and left-wing politics, creating a clash between left-wing and right-wing populist ideology. Some reviewers found the exaggerated conflict, particularly towards the end of the book, to be a real drawback. However, I actually really enjoyed the dramatized plot – it mirrors the extremities found in actual academic spaces and on social media. The interrogation of populism is especially relevant as right-wing populism continues to influence mainstream politics.

The author explores themes such as race, gender, and immigration, interwoven with its satirical narrative. Notably, Ingrid’s supervisor is a white man who has appropriated Chinese culture as his own. This, and the fact that most of Ingrid’s PhD cohorts are white men, raises the question of who is allowed to study other racialized cultures and, as a result, become an authority in the field.

While reading Disorientation, I thought it had themes similar to those of a dark academia novel. However, it differs in its atmosphere, lacking the gothic tone typically found in dark academia novels like Babel by R.F. Kuang and The Secret History by Donna Tartt. As a result, I wondered if this book is an example of (a subversive) light academia? Apparently, what’s different in light academia works is the emphasis on friendship, romance and love of learning. Light academia also has an optimistic tone and more positive themes, like personal growth. I think Disorientation uses satire to engage and critique the romanticization of these light academia themes, using Ingrid’s ignorance to call out the pervasiveness and subtlety of structural racism, misogyny and xenophobia.

Confronting Anti-Asian Racism

One of the most intriguing aspects of Disorientation is Ingrid’s experience as a Taiwanese-American woman and how she interacts with the Eurocentric academic space. I noticed that some readers were put off by Ingrid’s ignorance about racism and feminism, but I saw this as a survival mechanism that she developed as a young kid and never broke out of. Her reluctance to confront her supervisors and peers stems from the necessity to navigate a white male-dominated space. For instance, her goal is to get her PhD, and seeing as how the East Asian Studies department is mostly made up of white men (many of whom will determine if Ingrid passes her PhD dissertation defence), Ingrid often feels it’s easier to keep her head down. The author offers a poignant commentary on internalized racism and American assimilation.

Disorientation also delves into Ingrid’s hesitation to join postcolonial and feminist groups on campus. Her resistance is rooted in not feeling equipped to engage with these groups conversationally, but also the lack of patience many members have for those unfamiliar with social justice terminology and concepts. The latter is exemplified in Ingrid’s “nemesis,” a PhD candidate in Postcolonial Studies who doesn’t have time for Ingrid’s lack of awareness. Disorientation highlights how the simplicity of conservative narratives can prevail because progressive groups use more complex language, rendering progressive campaigns inaccessible.

In Conclusion

I found the ending of Disorientation to be particularly satisfying. It encourages taking time for self-discovery and rest, countering the belief that one needs to jump into a 9-5 to be a “productive” member of society. This was a particularly insightful conclusion since graduate and doctoral programs are not known for being kind to a person’s mental health. Therefore, I saw the ending as a testament to radical self-care, highlighting the unfortunate reality that self-care is often considered radical (as many see it as selfish and unproductive).

Ingrid’s reconnection with her parents and heritage is a powerful narrative that concludes the novel. It symbolizes the reclamation of her identity from a Eurocentric institution that sought to silence and appropriate it. In conclusion, Disorientation is a thought-provoking novel that uses satire to tackle complex issues within academia and the Asian-American experience.

Buy Disorientation

*These buttons contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclaimer here.