The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
by Graeme Simsion (Goodreads Author)
4.0 of 5 stars
An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.
Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.
I have a confession to make.
I read this book only because it’s going to come out as yet another chick flick, and I don’t want to miss the chance of at least knowing what the book is about before watching the film (starring Jennifer Laurence, I hear). As my reward, right after the first few pages of the book, I fell in love with the main characters, especially Don. Don Tillman is an associate prof of genetics at the University of Melbourne, and he has Asperger’s syndrome. Because of his inability of securing a suitable wife, he decides to get married the scientific way: process of elimination with the help of a questionnaire that he penned with the help of his friends, Gene and Claudia (Gene’s wife). Women are free to answer the questionnaire to be considered a potential candidate. After meeting some women who somewhat fit his criteria, Gene sends a “really suitable” person to Don’s office, an eccentric, unconventional young woman named Rosie. Even though she can’t be any further from Don’s dream wife, she intrigues him with her issues and personality. They drum up a “Father Project” to find Rosie’s biological father she never knew. As things progress, well, you know what happens next.
The book is set in Melbourne, Australia, in an academic setting. Most of the characters on the scene are scholars: Don, Gene, Claudia, even Rosie, and a whole bunch of professors. I think such a setting really draws out Don’s personality. We can see him in this pristine, university environment that suits his character as an Aspie (disclaimer: I'm not using the term in an insulting way; it's a nickname proudly adopted by many with Asperger's), a highly intelligent but socially inept individual, and his quirkiness is in nice contrast to other people around him (contrary to common belief, universities don’t the weirdest people). His condition compels him to function in strict accordance with time, but that’s not how most people live. I really like how the author chooses Don as his first person POV and allows us to directly hear how Don thinks; his absolute cluelessness is super entertaining to watch. Don also wins readers by being sweet to an old lady neighbor with Alzheimer's disease; he seeks to enlighten her about genetics science and dines frequently with her. As her condition worsens, he’d celebrate her birthdays more often, sometimes several times a month. It’s such an adorable thing for a character to do! Moreover, Don progresses from rather rigid into more relaxed and spontaneous, even though he balks at the changes. He realizes living in boxes may not be the only option in life, and that although walking out of his boxes may result in chaos, it also brings more freedom to live and love.
Rosie also shines through the pages. We first meet her when she walks into Don’s office, and Don mistakes her for a candidate for his Wife Project and asked her out for dinner. Even though she wouldn’t qualify for the position in so many ways: smoker, drinker, barmaid,(later turns out she’s in Psychology, though),etc. But her spontaneity opens new windows for Don and lets him see all the good parts in life he’s missing. Why not sit on the balcony and eat dinner? Why follow a standardized meal plan (yes, it’s a thing)? Her messy life includes a deceased mother, an unknown biological father, a stepfather, and a list of all possible fathers, to name a few. With the help of Don, she begins narrowing down her list of possible fathers. Rosie is a roiling fireball of emotions, which is a nice contrast to Don’s deadpan coolness.
The pacing is just right, in my opinion. Once again, there is no insta-love (when will some writers finally learn that?) and the romance slowly blossomed over time. They had much adventure over their quest for Rosie’s mystery dad, crawling off buildings, going to the U. S, and working as caterers. Don doesn’t believe Rosie to be a fitting wife, but he’s drawn to her again and again. Knowing his strange tendencies and habits may be a barrier to ultimately winning her love, he sets about re-inventing himself. Only when Rosie rejects the new Don over the old one does he realize he doesn’t need to change into a completely different person who’s even not him to find love. In the last part of the book there’s a minor plot twist that I didn’t see coming.
Overall The Rosie Project is a charming little book that isn’t shallow at all. It teaches people you can fall in love even if you’re different from other people. Don thinks because he has Asperger’s he can’t love properly, but upon reflection he understands although his love may not be as expressive as other’s are, it’s real. As long as someone gives a relationship his all, it’s enough.
