The Rosie Project by
Graeme Simsion
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Australian geneticist Don Tillman has determined he needs a wife. But, Don has never been particularly comfortable with women, or men for that matter. He has difficulty making friends and is a little off when it comes to the niceties of society. He has very specific ways of doing things, and it is not easy for him to change. In fact, Don determines, it might be a good idea to lay out the things he does not want in a woman and put together a questionnaire.
The more Don thinks of this questionnaire, the more he likes the idea. It will very efficiently alert him to women that are not suitable, and some of the questions alone may discourage women who are inappropriate as a mate. With the help of his friends Gene and Claudia, Don begins the Wife Project. Through a misunderstanding, Don meets a highly unsuitable woman named Rosie who he believes was recommended to him as a potential wife by Gene.
But, unacceptability as a wife does not mean he and Rosie cannot get to know each other and become friends. Don learns Rosie is the product of her mother's one night stand the night she graduated from medical school. Her biological father was at the graduation party, but Rosie's mother never told her who he was. Rosie's mother has since died and Rosie desperately wishes to learn who her biological father is, because she was left to live with her father Phil and the two have never gotten along.
As a genetics professor, Don has access to DNA testing equipment. Although highly irregular (unethical) and a threat to his job, Don offers to assist Rosie. They set out to locate all the men in her mother's graduating class and check their DNA against Rosie's.
Since Don (cough...Sheldon Cooper) appears to be somewhere on the Asperger's spectrum, it can be painful, or even hilarious, as Don attempts to find a wife while also attempting to locate Rosie's father. Rosie is herself a bit odd, but not to the extent of Don. Although both indicate they are not looking for a relationship, it just wouldn't be a story without a feasibly happy ending.
I found it somewhat insightful to consider a man whom society would deem handicapped as a romantic lead. Told from Don's perspective, there are some points he makes that are laugh out loud funny. But, there are others that are very poignant. Don is very willing to face his weak points and to practice to overcome them, but he is also very capable of demonstrating the skills he has that the average person lacks. His ability to organize and learn vast quantities of data in a short amount of time is amazing. However, romance is not his strong suit.
Told by Rosie that with the right haircut and suit he would be the spitting image of Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird, Don does begin to take on the trappings of the suitor. His methods are unorthodox, but by the end of the book, you will be rooting for him just as I was. A lovely story to brighten up your life.
Note: I have no experience with Asperger's syndrome, so I cannot speak to the accuracy of any of the attribute's Don exhibits. However, to be fair, the author never claims Don has the syndrome, he just very broadly hints at it. I have read other's concerns that this story mocks those with the syndrome. I just don't believe the author could come up with such a lovable character
as Don if he was doing so.
View all my reviews
