The Quiet Ones
Glen Diaz
We've been immortalized, and it was done with a deserved dignity. This is the novel that a wannabe-writer-turned-call-center-worker (retired) such as yours truly, have been dreaming of putting into paper. This one hits the spot. Pushes the right buttons. Hits the nail right on the head. It has authentic insider information, fully-developed characters (I feel like I've met them), verified industry know-how, like that whiff of truth in juicy gossip still sluicing in our mouths after all these years, the aura of office pantries, oppressive elevators, cold buildings and tired streets. It portrayed the lifestyle that the call center culture has espoused. The language was both precise and elegant, deconstructive and post-colonial. Perhaps I'm not sure about that post-colonial or deconstructive, (your graduate school units in Philosophy won't do much for KPIs). The novel is layered with a discussion of our country's fragile democracy, the context of the BPO industry in Philippine history and culture, how souls are corrupted by this grinding globalization. And this novel sure is right about its call center lingo. Uncompromising, that sometimes it's a pain to read, because we've lived through some of those horrible moments. We remember some horrible people. But mostly, it's a profound joy. How can one not feel flattered (even quietly) when you read about yourself?
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