Disorientation - Elaine Hsieh Chou Audiobook

Written by Elaine Hsieh Chou
Read by Jennifer Kim
Format: MP3

Publisher: Books on Tape
Release date: March 22, 2022
Duration: 11:50:33

A Taiwanese American woman’s coming-of-consciousness ignites eye-opening revelations and chaos on a college campus in this outrageously hilarious and startlingly tender debut novel.

Twenty-nine-year-old PhD student Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her dissertation on the late canonical poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about “Chinese-y” things again. But after years of grueling research, all she has to show for her efforts are junk food addiction and stomach pain. When she accidentally stumbles upon a curious note in the Chou archives one afternoon, she convinces herself it’s her ticket out of academic hell.

But Ingrid’s in much deeper than she thinks. Her clumsy exploits to unravel the note’s message lead to an explosive discovery, upending not only her sheltered life within academia but her entire world beyond it. With her trusty friend Eunice Kim by her side and her rival Vivian Vo hot on her tail, together they set off a roller coaster of mishaps and misadventures, from book burnings and OTC drug hallucinations, to hot-button protests and Yellow Peril 2.0 propaganda.

In the aftermath, nothing looks the same to Ingrid—including her gentle and doting fiancé, Stephen Greene. When he embarks on a book tour with the super kawaii Japanese author he’s translated, doubts and insecurities creep in for the first time… As the events Ingrid instigated keep spiraling, she’ll have to confront her sticky relationship to white men and white institutions—and, most of all, herself.

“Academia has long been an object of satire, and this audiobook takes the genre to new and lively heights. …. Jennifer Kim is a capable narrator, brisk and efficient with both narrative and dialogue. Her delivery demonstrates significant skill. There are moments, however, when her performance could take better advantage of comedic timing; a well-timed pause for the humor to sink in or for a character’s tone to emerge would benefit listeners immensely on numerous occasions. Dialogue distinctions are subtle but largely easy to follow, nonetheless. This audiobook offers a commentary that is thought-provoking and ironic in the way of the best satires.”—AudioFile