Graeme Simsion

Don Tillman is wonderful. Actually, it is his self-awareness that is absolutely priceless. While he might not understand exactly why he is wired differently, he is cognizant of his differences and knows that he sees and does things differently from almost everyone else. This leads to some of the most insightful and charming behavior. His structure, his punctuality, his logic, and his efficiency are all admirable traits; when seen through his eyes, his extreme structure, punctuality, logic show more and efficiency are even understandable. It is his matter-of-fact approach to his quirks that makes him truly charming though. He is completely unashamed of his differences and even somewhat derisive of those who view him as odd or insist he follow nonsensical (to him) rules. He is so aware of his differences that when he cannot understand his continued interactions with Rosie, a reader takes notice. He might not know what is happening, but readers will. In true romantic comedy fashion, readers end up cheering Don as he slowly begins to realize that sometimes love and happiness do not follow any structure or logic or rules.

Dan O’Grady is great as Don Tillman. His deadpan performance perfectly mirrors the emotionless responses Don gives his circle of acquaintances. Yet, Mr. O’Grady adds a twinge of desire in his voice that lets listeners know that Don not only acknowledges his differences, he wishes that he were not quite so different. Mr. O’Grady embodies Don’s natural lack of empathy, his directness, his logic-fueled mind, and his propensity for making sure others have a reason to laugh at him outside of his tonality and delivery. Mr. O’Grady makes a fun story that much more delightful.

It is supremely difficult not to fall in love with Don. He is so earnest and logical, and his lack of filters is refreshing in a world that hides behind subterfuge and mixed messages. Then there is his self-awareness which is so endearingly pathetic. His approach to the Wife Project may not be the most romantic, but the desire for happiness and fulfillment is there. Watching him fall in love with the most unlikely Wife Project candidate is absolutely adorable. The Rosie Project is indeed an excellent, charming, feel-good story. show less

"Asperger's isn't a fault. It's a variant. It's potentially a major advantage.”

Don Tillman is a genetics professor. He is handsome and brilliant. He is also socially awkward, fastidious and unreasonably demanding. He has had zero luck with the opposite sex and nearing forty, comes up with “The Wife Project”: a questionnaire, to assist him in finding the perfect mate. Of course, he is confident, that this ploy will work.

Enter, Rosie! A smart, young, sassy redhead, who is everything Don show more is NOT looking for. She is about to turn Don’s insulated, structured little world, upside down.

This is a charmer. Filled with humor and romance. The theme is light but it is fast-paced, solidly written, with a fresh Melbourne setting. I dare you not to smile. show less

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! As you'll see from the glowing five star rating, The Rosie Project totally threw me for a curve. It's impressive to me that I went into this book completely annoyed with the main character, and then two chapters later I couldn't stop reading. Things kept getting better. Don kept surprising me. By the time I reached the end, I was breathless and satisfied. That, my friends, is the mark of a damn good book.
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The thing is that Don, our main character, has Asperger's. I've read quite a few books with protagonists that faced the same challenge, but Don takes the cake in the personality department. How would I describe Don? Words that come to mind are: punctual, organized, brutally honest and often insufferable. At least, that is, at first. If you go into this book not loving Don, please keep reading. The growth that he shows, the barriers that he knocks down, it's just all so amazing. He ended up being one of my favorite characters. I definitely wasn't expecting that.

I've seen others take issue with the way that Asperger's is portrayed in The Rosie Project, and I'll honestly say that I can't take a stand on that. Not having any previous interactions with anyone like Don, I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal or not. What I can say is that I never felt like the author was being negative about Don's behavior, or trying to make him a joke. Quite the opposite actually. I learned so much about the ways that he had to adapt simply to fit in with the craziness that is us. When you look at it from his perspective, we're the ones who make no sense.

That, and I think a lot of the more negative light falls on Rosie in this instance. She's a feminist at heart, but still wants her swoon-worthy romance as well. She's all about standing out, but sometimes is uncomfortable with not fitting in. Rosie is a paradox, but that fits perfectly into this story. She helps Don find his best self, and learns more about herself along the way. I liked her, I loved him, and the whole story that revolved around them drew me in.

So what am I trying to say through all the rambling? This is a damn fine book. I wasn't sure about picking it up at first, but after reading so many glowing reviews I gave it a shot. I'm sincerely glad I did. The Rosie Project deserves all those fantastic reviews, and I'll happily add another one into the mix. show less

Don Tillman is a highly intelligent but socially inept professor of genetics. He is able to count his friends on one hand, is painfully literal and brutally honest – not through any cruelty, but just through lack of social skills. When he decides that he needs a wife, he acts in typical fashion and devises a questionnaire to select the perfect candidate and weed out anyone who is not suitable.

So when Rosie walks into his life, Don immediately dismisses her as entirely unsuitable – she show more smokes, drinks, is led by emotion rather than logic and is habitually late. She is also on a mission to find out the identity of her real father – and Don, as a geneticist, is ideally placed to help her. As they become friends and go through a number of adventures to obtain the DNA of the various candidates, Don finds that sometimes emotions do trump logic, and what should make two people incompatible can sometimes be exactly what makes them click with each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It is narrated from Don’s point of view, which gives plenty of opportunity for humour, and also means that the reader empathises with him in a way that wouldn’t have been so easy if it were told in the third person. I also really liked Rosie – she is feisty, intelligent and witty, and the two of them made a great main couple of characters as they navigated the highs and lows of friendship.

The ending really made me smile as well – it covers more than just the outcome of the friendship between Don and Rosie – and manages to be both surprising and heartwarming.

I highly recommend this book and am already looking forward to reading the sequel, The Rosie Effect. show less