“The Rosie Project” is a romantic comedy written from perspective of an Australian Genetics professor with Asperger’s syndrome, Don Tillman, and the primary character of the story. Don is a man of logic and has tried to organize his daily routine thus trying to reduce any uncertainty and bring in more efficiency and predictability in his life. He has fixed food menu for each day of the week and buys his grocery accordingly so that there is minimum wastage. Don has never been on a second date (The first being a disaster), and he is approaching his forties. That is when he decides to get married and search for a suitable girl (That is what he calls “The Wife Project”) who would meet his intellect and logic i.e., she would be a perfect partner. He prepares a 16-page checklist and questionnaire based on logic with list of qualities, his likings and expectations from his wife. During this journey of finding wife he is coached and helped by his two friends Gene and his wife Claudia. He obviously struggles to find someone who meets every checkbox of his checklist and then he meets “Rosie” who does not meet don’s criteria at all. He rejects her in the first meeting thinking of her as bartender (unaware initially that she worked as bartender to pay for doctorate in psychology). He promises to help find her biological father (Rosie’s father project) and they start spending time together. During this process they meet and eliminate several candidates who could be Rosie’s father via DNA testing.
As Don and Rosie spend more and more time together, he realizes he is attracted towards her and decides to persuade her to marry him. Rosie initially rejects Don but eventually they both get married in the end.
The book is a funny romantic fiction, written by Graeme Simsion and is about being comfortable with who you are and what you are good at. Characters are well defined, and pace of book is also good. Its funny and quirky. Highly recommended if you are into fiction.
This book “The Rosie Project “was followed up by two more “The Rosie Effect” and “The Rosie Result”.
