Charlotte Runcie

Broschiertes Buch

Bring the House Down

Beschreibung

A 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. "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 Alex 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. Unaware 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. A brilliant Trojan horse of a book about art, power, misogyny, and female rage, Bring the House Down is a searing, insightful, and often hilarious debut that captures the blurred line between reality and performance.

Autor

CHARLOTTE RUNCIE was most recently the Daily Telegraph's radio critic and senior arts columnist. She has also written for magazines and newspapers including the Times and the Guardian, 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.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Diversified Publishing
• Seitenzahl: 400
• Erscheinungstermin: 8. Juli 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 230mm x 152mm x 34mm
• Gewicht: 470g
• ISBN-13: 9798217157709
• Artikelnr.: 72152018

Rezensionen

'Enticing... A binge-worthy novel that explores our obsessions, our inner critic, and who we think we are in person and in print. Intimate, real, and really funny. This one has teeth' Kiley Reid

'A punchily provocative and often bitingly funny look at power dynamics and the ethics of criticism' The Times, Book of the Month

'Entertaining and very timely... One of the most enjoyable novels I've read in a long time' Guardian

'Spiky, smart and so original' Claire Daverley

'Ludicrously fun' Stylist

'Sharp-witted, wise, and authentic - what a fierce, fantastically

funny read' Claire Lombardo

'A bitingly sharp, witty, and multi-layered exploration of rage and art' Sophie Mackintosh

'Sharp, shrewd and witty... a stunning debut, one that I'm sure will be binge-read by many' Independent, Book of the Month

'Dark, obsessive and razor-sharp, this is your next Baby Reindeer fix' Elle

'A multistranded tale with depth and emotional intelligence... tender and furious - not to mention very, very funny... a solid five stars all round' Marie Claire, Editor's Pick

'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

'Accountability and cancel culture are the zeitgeisty themes of this clever and compelling novel set during the Edinburgh Fringe' Red

'Highly original, clever and witty' Sunday Post

'Funny and sharp' Grazia

'Well. This is exceptional... a wholly absorbing, nuanced exploration of the modern need to have, and express, an opinion on everything' Jennie Godfrey

'Be transported to the buzz of the Edinburgh Fringe in this sharp and funny debut... Compelling, multi-layered and rich with brilliant characters' Woman & Home

'Sharp and funny... rich with brilliant characters' Woman's Weekly

'An astounding debut... five big stars' Nathan Hill

'Funny, precise, and such fun' Holly Gramazio

'A witty, of-the-moment debut about art and cancel culture' Good Housekeeping

'A funny, thought-provoking rollercoaster of a read' Scotsman