Testosterone Dublin 8: Exciting & Thoughtful by Ethan Webber
T
estosterone Dublin 8, written by local author Gerry Mullins and based in Dublin 8, is the story of a man who, in the course of receiving treatment for his low testosterone, begins dealing drugs, comes into conflict with gangs and the police, and ultimately has a spiritual journey on a path of self acceptance. For the open minded reader who seeks a truly unique story and narrative style, this is a book that you don’t want to miss. Testosterone Dublin 8 was written by Gerry Mullins with the purpose of bringing attention to men’s health issues and low testosterone, while having a thought provoking and entertaining story behind it, and both are accomplished beautifully. Main character Jimmy Fyffe’s process of personal transition from diagnosis, to treatment, to physical transformation is told in honest and unapologetic detail by a talented author with firsthand experience, and complimented by a storyline that seems to jump effortlessly between relatable comedy, poignant social commentary, and the suspense of crime and conflict in a punchy yet satisfying manner simply not found in other
42
Cover of Testosterone Dublin 8. Photo courtesy of Liberties Press
fiction novels. Readers living in Dublin will enjoy the imagination behind setting such a bold story in Dublin 8, and will undoubtedly recognise local landmarks, neighborhoods and establishments that are part of their daily lives, and play important roles in the story. In some ways, this rollercoaster of a book seems to be a well deserved literary salute to the big smoke, a fascinating city often overlooked in crime and other fiction genres in favour of bigger, trendier cities like New York or London. Testosterone Dublin 8 manages to have a main character who is so relatable precisely because he is an everyman, from this very area, who deals with many of the same life obstacles that confront many Dublin men: fear of age, money issues, marital strife, and a deep longing for a sense of
power over their own lives. While testosterone helps to give Jimmy Fyffe some of that power back, he ultimately learns that it will be up to him alone to change his life for the better, and that it takes far more than brawn to be a good man. Testosterone Dublin 8 is a striking book because it really is the only one of its kind. Rarely can a fiction book cover such a broad range of themes so well, while also remaining addictive to read and socially relevant. Readers will find that this book offers pound for pound as much insight as it does thrills and laughs, without being a preachy pop psychology piece on the matter of men’s health and hormones. Rather, it’s a locally based, testosterone fuelled, emotionally charged epic, a legend of a changing man in a changing city in fast changing times.
