Reviews

House: A Memoir by Michael Ruhlman

heidihaverkamp's review against another edition

3.0

I found I wasn't as interested in this renovation memoir as I thought I'd be - it's very much about Shaker Heights OH and the family history of the particular house the Ruhlman's bought there. Uber-local history can be fun, but mostly if you're a resident of that particular place or have a history there yourself.

duparker's review against another edition

4.0

I swear I've read this before, but maybe I've just read books like it. The sharing of history and memories of home rehab and family life are always a catch for me.

jeanettesonya's review against another edition

4.0

Non-fiction memoir about purchasing and renovating an old house? No surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ruhlman successfully had me thinking about all the houses I've ever lived in, particularly the one I grew up in, the one Mark and I renovated, and the one we live in now, which is patiently waiting for renovations of its own. His book is an exploration of what home means, an exploration of the nostalgia connected to place. There's also some interesting information tossed in about the rise of suburbia, the development of a city, and the American desire for home.

Definitely recommended for anyone with a love of old houses.

allibarb's review against another edition

3.0

Well written book, but I always feel like Ruhlman spends a lot too much time navel-gazing. Something about his writing puts me off, like he's inordinately self-centered, though that's not necessarily true.

rmardel's review against another edition

3.0

Light. Interesting but ephemeral, like a puff of smoke.

shelf_reflect10n's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I always find Ruhlman to be a really good writer, who does good research, but whose books are always marred by something in his tone. In this one, his obliviousness about his wife and her needs is maddening, as is his certainty that he’s got it all figured out.

I have to admit, it was amusing to discover that after all his pontificating about how he was in his forever home with his forever partner, he left wife and home 10 years later. I wonder if he feels the irony now in many of the passages of this book.

giovannnaz's review against another edition

4.0

Impressed with the way Ruhlman brought so much into this book. In 256 pages he touched on family, house, city, suburb, and transportation history, all the while showing the family dynamics. When was the last time you read a book that made you wonder if maybe it would be fun to renovate a house? Or one that made you want to go on vacation to Cleveland? I'll be sure to avoid say no to the renovation projects, but I'm ready for a trip to Cleveland.