A review by thehighshelf
Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

funny informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Taiwanese-American PhD student Ingrid Yang has already sent ages on her dissertation with little - make that nothing - to show for it. Her topic? The late, great Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou - a subject she hates more with each passing day. After all, she always tried to avoid any ties to her own culture and heritage. Hell, she can barely speak her family’s native language - forcing her parents at a young to only speak to her in English. Oh, and there’s also the tiny, pestering fact that she has never dated an Asian man before. She’s convinced her boyfriend Stephen is the love of her life though. He checks all the boxes a good partner is supposed to check. He’s even a professional translator, working on translating the novel of a (in Ingrid’s mind) way-too-cute and way-too-friendly Japanese woman. But it’s fine, Ingrid tells herself, even as she gets increasingly bad stomach pains, hallucinates frequently due to her use of an over-the-counter allergy medication, and fights confusing bouts of depression and apathy towards her boyfriend. 

So, although she is reluctant to admit it, things actually aren’t going that well for Ingrid. Which means, when she finds a message left in the Xiao-Wen Chou archives, she clings to it in the hopes that she might have the key to finally escaping the drudgery of academic life - especially academia she has an increasing disinterest in. 

However, the note leads Ingrid to a shocking discovery - one that slowly but surely turns her entire worldview upside down. In the span of a few weeks, she and her best friend are led down a rabbit hole of both inner and outer discoveries - about themselves, about each other, and about the cruel reality of the world around them. Together they experiences everything from books burnings to campus protests and even Yellow Peril 2.0 propaganda. 

As the dust settles after Ingrid’s discovery, nothing is really the same to her as it was before - especially her very white boyfriend. Ingrid starts seeing her life in a new light - and what she sees is starting to make her really uncomfortable. 

Although literary in tone, the book harbors many humorous moments, making for a pretty great read if you’re in for the slow start. If you’re a fan of dark academia and incisive explorations of racism, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find this book enlightening. Disorientation really delves into the horrors and complexities of institutionalized racism with a satirical and introspective tone. 

I think, for some, the main character will come off as unlikeable at first, for a variety of reasons. You can really feel Ingrid’s own self hatred, although she doesn’t see it for what it is. It’s both frustrating and hard at times to read as she does things that seem counterintuitive or circumvents obvious conclusions. At the same time, this makes the character growth and development so much more real. It certainly opened my eyes to a new perspective on academic institutions and they the way they perpetuate racism within their walls. Although the book is not a favorite of mine in terms of general enjoyment I got from reading, I will say I am more than glad I read it and I would happily recommend it to others. 
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