Official Review: On the Steps of St. Dymphna by Tony Rocco

[Hazel Arnaiz]

What an unusual way of achieving enlightenment. I wonder if it is the real thing. Thank you for the insightful review.

[Justine Ocsebio]

I admit, absurdist genre is something I have never heard before. John’s “enlightenment” has piqued my curiosity. I love a book that poses some deep and complex questions about life and faith. I would love to come across this book someday.

[Samantha Gayle]

Very interesting! Thank you for the review. A story of transformation for the good is always powerful. I’m curious about this magical bed! I wonder what really happened during that experience. I will definitely try a sample of this book!

[Scerakor]

Despite this being of a genre that I usually wouldn't pick up, absurdist fiction, Rocco's work definitely seems like it has an interesting feel to it.

[Karina Nowak]

This book sounds like it can have some trippy, Twilight Zone plot twists in it. And good review too!

[Odette Chace]

I don't think I have ever read anything that can be deemed "absurdist fiction" before. I feel like this is something I'm going to either completely love or hate. Thanks for an interesting and insightful review!

[Odette Chace]

In real life, do we ever really know what the significance of a certain event is? And when we think an event has meaning, does it really? Or are we the ones who give meaning to that event? John goes to great lengths to discover the true meaning of his experience with the “magic bed”, and all the while, I could not decide on what I thought had really happened. I could not be sure that John had really had an enlightening experience; neither could I be sure that he had gone mad.

Nice review! It (the book) reminded me of the Disney film, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" with Angela Lansbury. Or, I should say, a bad version of it, or what happens when something is misinterpreted. If such a thing happened in real life, that would be terrible - Someone was talking about the bed from a Disney movie! is what the guy should have been thinking! Strange thought! Perhaps he overheard a conversation, interpreted it the way he saw fit, and then decided to use it for his own (unselfish) purposes, and things turned out terrible.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely LOVED "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" when I was little and watched it every time I got sick to cheer myself up. I wish that reference was in the book.

[lavkathleen]

This is the first time I've read about absurdist fiction but it looks like something that I'd be into. The plot and genre looks interesting, but I hope I don't read 'transgender apparel' or any of that sort in the book because it just sounds ridiculous (I don't think there's a specific kind of clothing for each gender).

[Bea2wice-143]

Great review, the book doesn't sound like what I would normally go for, but the way you have described it makes me want to read it. So I will give it a shot.

[Jennifer Donovan Smith]

I've never before heard of "absurdist fiction," and because I tend to like my books to be realistic, I don't think this is the book for me. However, I will keep this book in mind for readers who are looking for something entirely original and in the realm of absurdity

[perchick_7]

John's motives are good, but he becomes an extreme zealot for the bed. This is certainly verging on idolatry and fanaticism. He becomes the leader of a cult. Do they worship God, the bed, or both? I am certainly intrigued. Thought provoking AND humorous, well written, all that you mentioned in the last paragraph definitely makes me want to read this book. Thank you for the excellent review.

[Pennybutterfly8]

This sounds like an interesting read but I will have to take a pass on this book.

[Amanda Nicole Newton]

This seems like an interesting and fun story. John seems like an intriguing character and I'm very interested in finding out what more about his magical bed experience.

[Oyedeji Okikioluwa]

I can imagine myself reading this book and laughing already. The storyline also have in-depth of lessons to share with the readers. So with humour and life lessons, I will look forward to reading the book. Nice review.

[navyapindi]

The storyline is intriguing. The idea of thought-provoking absurd fiction is interesting. The character of John sounds well-written. Thank you for the free copy. Looking forward to reading it. Congrats on BOTD!