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

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On the Steps of St. Dymphna" by Tony Rocco.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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On the Steps of St. Dymphna is one of the most original pieces of fiction I have ever come across. The book falls under the genre of absurdist fiction and is written by Tony Rocco.

Before his life-altering encounter with the “magic bed” John was just an ordinary guy with an ordinary existence. He worked as part of the technical support team at GMC Megatronics and had a stable relationship with a nice girl. All this changes when he tries out a bed at Le Bed Shoppe and has an unbelievable experience that leads to his enlightenment. He denounces his former way of life and becomes Pastor John. John is no ordinary Pastor; he frees himself of the shackles of conformity and dresses in colourful transgender apparel. He starts a church named “The New Life Church of the Godhead of the Bed” with a group of homeless folk as his followers. His mission is to fill the lives of others with joy and purpose. Pastor John seeks to uplift himself and his followers by uplifting others. They decide that the perfect place to carry out their mission is the local sanatorium, St. Dymphna’s House of Hope. Did John really have an authentic spiritual experience on the “magic bed” or did he just go mad?

Although On the Steps of St. Dymphna generally has a humorous air to it, I found it to be quite thought-provoking. Events and their true meaning are not spelled out for us, and there is an ambiguity in John’s realizations. This gave the book a realm of realism to it. 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.

John’s attempts to find purpose in his life and to help others do the same was quite amusing. Was he truly making a difference in the lives of the people he was trying to help or was he just throwing his life away? Well, true to the absurdist fiction genre the author does not pose judgement on John’s actions. Readers are left to decide for themselves what it is they think about John's decisions. This is one of the reasons that I think that On the Steps of St. Dymphna has been brilliantly written.

I readily rate On the Steps of St. Dymphna 4 out of 4 stars. I can only say good things about this great book. And as such, it deserves nothing less than a perfect rating. It is fast-paced, has a great flow to it, and is easy to read. It contains amusing characters who are well developed and are believable. Also, it contains very few errors and has been well edited. I recommend it to readers who enjoy thought-provoking fiction books. Just a warning though, the characters use profanity here and there in their communications with each other.

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On the Steps of St. Dymphna
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[Priyanka2304]

John seems an interesting character. Thanks for the amazing review. Would definitely read this book someday.

[Koltrast]

I'm not a fan of the absurdist genre, so I doubt this book is for me. It is, however, a very interesting premise. What is really authentic? And, one might ask, does an event lose its meaning just because we were the ones who gave it said meaning in the first place?
Anyway, nice review!

[Anon_Reviewer]

A fast-paced book with a great flow and developed characters is worth considering. That it is well-edited is a bonus. I will probably find the profanity and absurdist nature of the book disturbing, so I'll have to pass. Nonetheless, thanks for the enlightening review!

[Elvis Best]

Your praise for this book is unmistakable. I'd love to read this awesome book. Great job on the review!

[Chinelookeke]

I like the book and I look forward to reading it. I would really want to know the exact thing that brought about the transformation. Thanks for the review.

[monicamu]

This sounds absolutely fascinating and is definitely a book I would like to read. I just wish there were more hours in the day as the books are stacking up only "want to read" shelf. I'll try and get to this one soon.

[Elizabeth Pass]

I've never heard of absurdist fiction. Sounds like an interesting and entertaining genre. John's experience with the magic bed was enough to change his life. Or was it? How intriguing!

[tarafarah7]

Today's BOTD is a fictional piece that will have readers thinking about the events in our lives, how we perceive them, and the outcomes that result. Filled with unique, believable characters and dialogue, this book is fast-paced and easy to read. Sounds like a good one! Thank you!!

[MariaLivaniou]

This book will definitely be an interesting read. It seems a little out of my comfort zone, but I really wanna see for myself if John was losing it or not.

[DEEPA PUJARI]

Nice review. The story does sound original and exciting. Congratulations BOTD!

[Chigo Nwagboso]

This seems to be and interesting and fast paced book. I'm just wondering a pastor being a cross dresser. Great review.

[123Esther]

John seems like a nice character, the book is well written with a perfect flow and a fast pace. Great review.

[Acu Silas]

I have never read an absurdist fictional before and I have to say that this is a read I look forward to. It's interesting to see how John founds his church in ways beyond the norm. The themes and deep questions explored in this book are more than enough motivation to delve into its pages.

[Emmanuelufot]

I guess this book will be very interesting,the magic bed experience to becoming a servant Of God, am just wondering about the complications involved.
I give a thumb up to the review,its a nice edition.