Bourgeoise Burns

The Recorded History of a Girl
Celine Lopez

Manila

I’m writing you a letter-style review, in the spirit of the book’s writing style. Age 41. 

Dear R., 

Chapter 10 was glorious! Your mother had a peculiar personality: tenacious in her pursuits. Her life had no absence of struggle, and she dealt with her insecurities without the fortune of a privileged upbringing. If you wrote a novel about her, I certainly would have enjoyed it. 

Forgive me for being too honest with my feelings. I felt that your letters had too much flexing, humble brags, and as you put it, “bourgeoise guilt,” or “bourgeoise fatigue.” Summers in Santorini, apartments in London, a duplex in New York, a son in Yale Law School. I’m pretty sure the readers of Philippine Tattler would approve of your book better than I would. My tastes are too lower middle class these days. I took note of what you wrote to your son, “I can’t imagine you being with someone with socialist ideals, my darling capitalist.”

 

I’m just being biased, but truly not hateful. I did read every word, every sentence, some of which I honestly cherished and read again. Besides, I only bought the book for 99 pesos, a small fraction of its original 499. In that sense, it was worth the price. 

After all, we do live in a time where there is much talk about re-writing history and burning the books. I hope it never happens, and if it should, they should burn the more bourgeoise books. 

Sincerely, 

J.