The House Breaker tells the story of John Smith, a bibliophile who, in his own words, dislikes noise and trash. Looking around his neighborhood, Smith sees plenty of noisy, trashy living. He decides to do something about it by buying a recently vacated house and tearing it down. While working on the demolition, Smith meets a woman who shares his love of books. A relationship develops and provides Smith a respite from his fight against trash.