A Bricklayer's Tales: A Collection of Short Stories and Memoirs by Gary Troia is a raw, darkly humorous exploration of working-class struggles, self-destruction, and creative frustration. Told through the eyes of Ray Dennis -- Troia's disillusioned alter ego -- these gritty, unflinching stories dive into the realities of depression, alcoholism, drug use, and the suffocating monotony of low-paid labour.

From bleak construction sites to psychedelic escapes, each tale captures the highs and lows of a man trapped between artistic ambition and brutal wage slavery. Whether facing deportation in Return Ticket, tripping through philosophical hallucinations in Angel Dust, or drowning his dreams in cheap booze in A Bricklayer's Tale, Ray's journey is equal parts tragic, absurd, and painfully relatable.

With the biting wit of Charles Bukowski and the raw realism of working-class fiction, A Bricklayer's Tales is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt stuck in a soul-crushing job, wrestled with addiction, or longed for something more.

Brutally honest. Darkly funny. Deeply human.

Perfect for fans of outsider literature, underground fiction, and Bukowski-style storytelling.

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• Literature & FictionAction & AdventureMen's Adventure
• Literature & FictionHumour & SatireDark Comedy
• Biography & True Accounts

• Publication Date: January 15, 2014
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 140 Pages
• File Size: 27 KB