Super Short Summary

Building Stories by Chris Ware is about a Chicago apartment building and its female inhabitants, focusing on an unnamed woman living on the third story. The narrative is told through 14 different printed pieces that readers can explore in any order, detailing her life from young adulthood through marriage and motherhood. Themes of loss, regret, and creative failure emerge as she navigates complex relationships and personal struggles. The graphic novel also explores the perspectives of the building itself, its elderly landlady, a troubled couple on the second story, and a bee named Branford. Sensitive topics such as abortion, parental decline, and self-disgust are presented.