Description
'Sharp-witted, wise, and authentic - what a fierce, fantastically funny read' CLAIRE LOMBARDO
'Funny, bold and tender ... I loved this incendiary debut' EMILIA HART
At the Edinburgh Fringe, vicious theatre critic Alex Lyons is dashing off his latest hatchet job.
When Alex meets the show's performer, Hayley, in a bar afterwards, she has no idea who he is. It's only after they've spent the night together that Alex's well-meaning flatmate, Sophie, accidentally shows Hayley the one-star review.
Humiliated and furious, Hayley revamps her show into a one-star review of Alex's entire life. Starring every bad thing he's ever done to anyone. Sparing absolutely no details.
Hayley's show is an instant hit, setting off a cultural earthquake. With Alex's life in ruins, Sophie has a front-row seat to the carnage. Which is how she discovers that, sometimes, the audience is the most dangerous place to be.
Funny and thrilling, for readers of Cleopatra and Frankenstein or Fleishman is in Trouble, this is an extraordinary debut novel about bad art and good art and who gets to say what. About the one-star reviews we wish we could give out, and the personal criticism we would rather not face.
The literary debut novel of 2025, perfect for fans of CLEOPATRA AND FRANKENSTEIN and THE RACHEL INCIDENT
About the Author
Charlotte Runcie is a radio columnist and arts writer. For several years she lived and worked in Edinburgh, where she ran a folk music choir, and she now lives in the Scottish Borders. She has a secret past as a poet, having been a Foyle Young Poet of the Year with a pamphlet published by tall-lighthouse. Her memoir Salt On Your Tongue was a BBC4 Book of the Week and named a Book of the Year in the Spectator, The Scotsman and Prospect.
Reviews
Early praise for Bring the House Down
'Bring the House Down is sharp-witted, wise, and authentic - what a fierce, fantastically funny read' Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had and Same As It Ever Was
'Funny, bold and tender, Bring the House Down is a biting study of power, gender and the meaning of art. I loved this incendiary debut' Emilia Hart, bestselling author of Weyward
'A novel about losing and finding yourself again, about who we are versus who we think we are, and about the inner lives we rarely reveal. Runcie's characters feel so real I wouldn't be surprised to find myself next to them on the train or to overhear them on the streets of Edinburgh' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of The Sleep Watcher, Starling Days and Harmless Like You
'I devoured Bring the House Down - and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. Charlotte Runcie combines her searing observation and immaculate pacing with infectious prose in this compelling, comedic and seriously clever debut novel. I can't wait for everyone else to read it so I can finally talk about it at length' Alice Vincent, author of Why Women Grow
Praise for Charlotte Runcie's memoir Salt On Your Tongue
'A very beautiful book about myth and motherhood - a memoir that intertwines effortlessly and poetically with tales of the sea. Salt On Your Tongue has a rare magic to it' Sophie Mackintosh, author of Cursed Bread
'A wise and wonderful book, charting intensely personal moments against the constant yet ever-changing sea. A story of birth, loss, memory and motherhood, spliced with vivid observations of the natural world and collected myth, lore and legend. Charlotte Runcie's voice is by turns practical and poetic, objective and beguiling. An utterly immersive read' Jess Kidd, author of Himself
'If you adore funny fiction, then pop this book on your 2025 wishlist... We're in. All in' Love Reading
Book Information
ISBN 9780008688011
Author Charlotte Runcie
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint The Borough Press
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 270g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 159mm * 23mm
