Disorientation

The funniest, most poignant novel of the year ― Vogue

Funny, fearless . . . acutely inspects the power of the white gaze, academic imperialism, peer rivalry and self-hate ― Observer

A rollicking, whip-smart ride through the hallowed halls of academia ― Harpers Bazaar

Witty, knowing and funny . . . If Donna Tartt set the bar for the noirish campus novel, Elaine Hsieh Chou is setting a new bar for sharp, sideways takes on academia ― Evening Standard

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

The funniest novel I’ve read all year . . . Uproarious . . . packed full of sly truths about race, love, and life in general―all of which you’re going to miss, because you’ll be laughing so hard ― Aravind Adiga

Funny and insightful, with plenty to say about art, identity, Orientalism and the politics of academia . . . entertaining, rising to a delightful climax ― New York Times Book Review

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

As the best comedy does, Disorientation manages to highlight uncomfortable truths, capture grey areas and hard lines, and resist sliding into easy binaries of heroes and villains ― Vanity Fair

Disorientation does what great comedies and satires are supposed to do: make you laugh while forcing you to ponder the uncomfortable implications of every punchline ― Washington Post

Captivating, irresistible, and intensely readable, and what we ultimately come to literature to find . . . a unique, propelling story ― Chicago Review of Books

A deeply smart, satirical novel that takes a critical look at racism in academia ― Buzzfeed

Amultivalent 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

A searing literary satire of campus politics ― Entertainment Weekly

A fresh, hilarious and thoughtful satire that'll make you think about cultural identity in a whole new way ― Good Housekeeping

Searing satire . . . Chou details her protagonist’s struggles with dry humour and wit ― Time

So many stifle-a-strangled-laugh lines . . . A send-up of the polite, cardigan-draped white supremacy of liberal arts colleges ― Glamour

About the Author