{"product_id":"bring-the-house-down-isbn-9798217157709","title":"Bring the House Down","description":"\u003cb\u003eA theater critic at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe writes a vicious one-star review of a struggling actress he has a one-night stand with in this sharply funny, feminist tinderbox.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is sharp-witted, wise, and authentic—what a fierce, fantastically funny read.”—Claire Lombardo, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Most Fun We Ever Had \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSame As It Ever Was\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlex Lyons always has his mind made up by the time the curtain comes down at a performance—the show either deserves a five-star rave, or a one-star pan. Anything in between is meaningless. On the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he doesn’t deliberate over the rating for Hayley Sinclair’s show, nor does he hesitate when the opportunity presents itself to have a one-night stand with the struggling actress.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnaware that she’s gone home with the theater critic who’s just written a career-ending review of her, Hayley wakes up at his apartment to see his scathing one-star critique in print on the kitchen table, and she’s not sure which humiliation offends her the most. So she revamps her show into a viral sensation critiquing Alex Lyons himself—entitled son of a famous actress, serial philanderer, and by all accounts a terrible man. Yet Alex remains unapologetic. As his reputation goes up in flames, he insists on telling his unvarnished version of events to his colleague, Sophie. Through her eyes, we see that the deeper she gets pulled into his downfall, the more conflicted she becomes. After all, there are always two sides to every story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant Trojan horse of a book about art, power, misogyny, and female rage, \u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is a searing, insightful, and often hilarious debut that captures the blurred line between reality and performance.“A turbulent and harrowing ride on what it really means to criticize a culture. . .The difficult genius of \u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is how hard it hammers the idea of there really being two sides to every story. . .Runcie writes with a voice that can only be achieved through the bird’s eye view of an objective, observant journalist. . .[A] formidable debut novel.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Chicago Review of Books\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"So delightfully snackable that you may, as I did, gulp it down in two or three sittings. . .This deeply entertaining novel [is] well worth the price of admission.”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Los Angeles Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Accomplished. . . A smart, sharp and compulsively readable first novel that provides food for thought on a variety of complex topics. . . Runcie strikes a perfect balance, and instead of tub-thumping or finger-pointing, explores each issue with nuance and evenhandedness. Serious and thought-provoking [but] also fun and frequently witty. . . [\u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is] a five-star triumph.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Washington Post\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Biting satire and surprising emotional depth earn this one a rave.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Boston Globe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Entertaining and very timely. . . One of the most enjoyable novels I've read in a long time. . . Runcie's verbal wit, narrative chops and emotional subtlety rendered [a hatchet job] impossible.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—The Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This darkly funny feminist book asks big questions about cancel culture, art and revenge.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Good Housekeeping\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e considers what role theater can have in a community with more humor that you’d think was possible.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Elle, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eBest Books of the Summer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Runcie gets theater right in this excellent debut novel. . . It’s a brilliant look at the utter madness that is the [Edinburgh Festival] Fringe, a deep consideration of criticism and art (and parenthood as a professional), and a fiery reminder that we still have so far to go when it comes to men behaving poorly and getting away with it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—LitHub\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An unusual, thought-provoking, multilayered read that book groups will enjoy debating. A smart novel that carefully considers the shifting sands of life.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kirkus \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A sharp, absorbing, thoroughly entertaining send-up of gender politics, the dynamic between critics and artists, and the struggle for women to balance careers and motherhood.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Booklist \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An ebullient piece of retribution for an unrepentant jerk [and] a nuanced and thoughtful take on gender and power.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBloomberg Businessweek, \u003c\/i\u003e10 Best Books of the Summer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A clever] debut. . . Runcie takes a thought-provoking look at art’s complex relationship with criticism and public outrage. This dramedy packs a punch.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Publisher's Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Runcie's story is one we can all relate to—whether we're aspiring stage actors or not. . . By all accounts juicy and so real, I read this book in a single weekend.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eGlamour\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is sharp-witted, wise, and authentic—what a fierce, fantastically funny read.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eClaire Lombardo\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Most Fun We Ever Had \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSame As It Ever Was\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e “An astounding debut about the fraught relationship between artist and critic, truth and publicity, men and women. \u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e reminds us how unwise it is to make easy judgments about people or art—which does not stop me from giving Charlotte Runcie five big stars.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eNathan Hill\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWellness \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Nix\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An enticing debut. This is a binge-worthy novel that explores our obsessions, our inner critic, and who we \u003ci\u003ethink\u003c\/i\u003e we are in person and in print. Intimate, real, and really funny. This one has teeth.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eKiley Reid\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eCome and Get It \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSuch a Fun Age\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I read this in a day and wished there were another hundred pages so I could just keep reading. Funny, precise, and such fun. And now that I've finished it the characters are lodged in my brain like they're real people I used to know.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eHolly Gramazio\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Husbands\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Funny, bold and tender, \u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is a biting study of power, gender and the meaning of art. I loved this incendiary debut.”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003cb\u003eEmilia Hart\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of author of \u003ci\u003eWeyward \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Sirens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A daring dive into the excesses of our rating culture, \u003ci\u003eBring The House Down\u003c\/i\u003e searches for the nuance and complexity we lose when we reduce our experiences to one-star\/five-star, best\/worst, or love\/hate binaries. Runcie’s propulsive and tender prose interrogates the critic’s role and allegiances in a world where art has become a product like any other. A fascinating read.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eCamille Bordas\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Material\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHow to Behave in a Crowd\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eBring the House Down\u003c\/i\u003e is a bitingly sharp, witty, and multi-layered exploration of rage and art. Runcie is so good on nuance, on interrogating the good and bad of meticulously-drawn characters we come to love even when we feel we shouldn't – all the while delving into questions of complicity, goodness, and how our own desires muddy the water.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eSophie Mackintosh\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Water Cure\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCursed Bread\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Rowan Hisayo Buchanan\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Sleep Watcher, Starling Days\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHarmless Like You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I devoured \u003ci\u003eBring the House Down—\u003c\/i\u003eand 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.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eAlice Vincent\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eWhy Women Grow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bring the House Down is an agile, addictive story exploring art, ethics, the role of the critic, vindication of female rage, and the public appetite for blood. Runcie is sharply attuned to the vast uncomfortable grey areas of gender and power relations, navigating them with wry, revelatory observations that are devastatingly acute. Atmospheric, propulsive, electric.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eHeidi Sopinka\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eUtopia\u003c\/i\u003eCHARLOTTE RUNCIE was most recently the \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e’s radio critic and senior arts columnist. She has also written for magazines and newspapers including the \u003ci\u003eTimes\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e, spending years in the culture trenches reviewing shows at the Edinburgh Festival. A graduate of Cambridge University, Charlotte was longlisted for the 2023 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and Bridport Prize, and was a Foyle Young Poet of the Year.","brand":"Random House Large Print","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233002991845,"sku":"NP9798217157709","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9798217157709.jpg?v=1767723088","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/bring-the-house-down-isbn-9798217157709","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}