general

I never thought I could get so many laughs while recalling the torture that we went through when we redid our house. I wish we'd read this book before we started -- it might have kept us cracking up in a good way instead of in the losing-our-sanity way. I found this book in a DailyCandy.com email recommending Father's Day gifts, and I think that's probably a great call for dads who read and have a sense of humor. I'm glad to see Amazon likes it so much that it's a Breakout Book of Summer 2004! This is my new gift of choice to fellow readers -- perhaps it'll save some marriages, not to mention some houses!

what an entertaining ride. this book is full of laughs and insight into the wacky and stressful world of home renovation, marriage and mid-life meltdowns. larose has a wicked sense of humor that makes sedaris seem tame. i loved every page!

GUTTED made me laugh out loud. It also brought
tears to my eyes as I followed the unlikely but,
nevertheless, epic journey of Mr. LaRose and his
wife through the figurative and literal pitfalls
of acute home renovation undertaken during the
early years of their marriage. Mr. LaRose has a keen
ear and eye for the ironic and the absurd which serve
him well in this tale of the joys and horrors of home
ownership and of the notable discoveries that this couple
make about each other as they navigate the aisles of Home
Depot. This is an honest, funny, poignant book. I found
myself surprisingly invested in not
only the structural details of the "toenail yellow" house but also rooting for the
survival of the marriage. One can only hope for more from
this gifted author with the challenges of parenthood providing
fresh ground for his astute and quirky observations on life.