Two-Up: A Novel

by Eric Miles Williamson

Novels about the blue-collar world are Seldom does someone near the cellar of society escape to tell the tale. Eric Miles Williamson joined the Laborers Union when he graduated from high school in 1979 and spent seven years as a gunite construction worker, witnessing atrocities that don't make the evening news. Two-Up is Williamson's fictional account of a journey through the nightmare of the American labor inferno.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2006

About the author

Internationally acclaimed novelist and critic Eric Miles Williamson was named by France’s Transfuge magazine one of the “douze grands écrivains du monde”—one of the twelve great authors of the world. His first novel, East Bay Grease, was a PEN/Hemingway finalist, and its sequel, Welcome to Oakland, was named the second-best novel of 2009 and one of the top 40 novels of the decade by the Huffington Post. Senior Editor of Boulevard, Fiction Editor of Texas Review, and Associate Editor of American Book Review, Williamson served three terms on the Board of Directors of the National Book Critics Circle. He lives in the Rio Grande Valley.

Reviews

[Guillermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Miles Williamson is a person of opinion. I've never taken a class with him, but others who have described him as such. Once I saw him talk to a friend of mine and he came off as such. But it's all good, because if he wasn't then he wouldn't be the writer that he is.

The book is reminiscent of the crap-stacular novel Twelve only it's written by an adult rather than a child. None of the characters are lovable, nor do you wish them happy endings. You writhe with hatred for Broadstreet, sneer contemptuously at Rex and wish to bury Colby Root underneath gunite - which is what the novel's about: Gunite workers.

I don't know if a review by me will do any justice for the book. I'm also sure that if Williamson should read this he'll discard it because I'm no one of importance. But nonetheless, the book's a great read and you'll be glad you have.

[John Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Miles Williamson's novel "Two-up" is a thrilling read the details the lives of a blue collar crew of gunite workers. Willamson's characters are coarse and gritty, they drink constantly and work 16-hour days. The story centers on a trio of characters: Broadstreet, Rex, and Colby Root. All of the characters are expertly developed and all have very good story arcs. The prose in the novel is taut and filled with powerful images and dialogue. A very entertaining read and one that I highly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unrelenting honesty, as beautiful as it is ugly, and that's saying a lot!

[Sam Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

100/100

there are maybe five books i like more than this.