Bring the House Down
- Author Charlotte Runcie
- Narrator Isabelle Farah
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 5 June 2025
- Run Time 8 hours and 11 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Humorous fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Social issues.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £8.99
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
'Punchily provocative and often bitingly funny' THE TIMES, Book of the Month
‘Binge-worthy, real, really funny’ KILEY REID
‘Spiky, smart and so original’ CLAIRE DAVERLEY
'Entertaining and very timely… One of the most enjoyable novels I’ve read in a long time' GUARDIAN
'Unputdownable' DAILY MAIL
A ONE WOMAN SHOW
A ONE NIGHT STAND
A ONE STAR REVIEW
Theatre critic Alex Lyons made his name from his brutal, brilliant reviews.
So when he sees Hayley Sinclair's dismal one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe, he thinks nothing of dashing off another of his trademark one-star pans for the newspaper. He also thinks nothing of taking her home after the performance, failing at any point to mention who he is.
What he doesn't expect is for Hayley to revamp her show into a review of Alex's entire life, exposing what an awful person he really is. Worse, the show is a smash hit, and Alex is about to become national news. But can Hayley bring the establishment down without taking herself with it?
Funny and thrilling, Bring the House Down gives you a front row seat to the downfall of the people who tell us what to think. It's about art, performance, female rage, and how while revenge may be sweet, it can also be perilous.
'An enticing debut. This is 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
'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
Critics Review
'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
n'A punchily provocative and often bitingly funny look at power dynamics and the ethics of criticism' The Times, Book of the Month
n'Entertaining and very timely… One of the most enjoyable novels I’ve read in a long time' Guardian
n‘Spiky, smart and so original’ Claire Daverley
n'Ludicrously fun’ Stylist
n'Sharp-witted, wise, and authentic – what a fierce, fantastically funny read' Claire Lombardo
n'A bitingly sharp, witty, and multi-layered exploration of rage and art’ Sophie Mackintosh
n'Sharp, shrewd and witty… a stunning debut, one that I’m sure will be binge-read by many' Independent, Book of the Month
n'Dark, obsessive and razor-sharp, this is your next Baby Reindeer fix’ Elle
n'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
n'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
n'Accountability and cancel culture are the zeitgeisty themes of this clever and compelling novel set during the Edinburgh Fringe' Red
n'Highly original, clever and witty' Sunday Post
n'Funny and sharp’ Grazia
n'Well. This is exceptional… a wholly absorbing, nuanced exploration of the modern need to have, and express, an opinion on everything' Jennie Godfrey
n'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
n'Sharp and funny… rich with brilliant characters' Woman's Weekly
n'An astounding debut… five big stars' Nathan Hill
n'Funny, precise, and such fun' Holly Gramazio
n'A witty, of-the-moment debut about art and cancel culture' Good Housekeeping
n'A funny, thought-provoking rollercoaster of a read' Scotsman
n| Author | Charlotte Runcie |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Isabelle Farah |
| Duration | 8 hours and 11 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9780008688042 |
| Format | x-book® |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Genre | Humorous fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Social issues |
| Availability | AU, GB, IE |
More from the same
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.