The Lesser Bourgeoisie

By Honoré de Balzac

Book Overview

The lesser bourgeoisie focuses on the ambitions and social anxieties of a middle-class household living in a rapidly changing city. The narrative begins by highlighting how urban landscapes transform, replacing familiar neighborhoods with new structures and new expectations. Within this shifting environment, a small family becomes determined to prove its worth. Their daily routine revolves around earning respectability, improving their financial standing, and gaining approval from those positioned just above them in the social order. The household's structure reflects hierarchy, control, and a constant fear of slipping downward. Every decision, from managing property to choosing acquaintances, becomes a calculated move meant to protect status. Relationships are shaped by strategy rather than affection, revealing how social aspiration can narrow emotional expression. The story examines how personal identity becomes intertwined with outward appearances and how the pressure to be seen as respectable can fracture genuine connection. Through observations of conversation, routine, and aspiration, the narrative reveals a quiet struggle: the desire to belong in a world that values image over authenticity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9374834278
• ISBN13: 9789374834275
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Double 9 Books
• Length: 418 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"