Book review: "The Rosie Project" by Greame Simsion

Warning: likely spoilers below!

I borrowed The Rosie Project from my mother, who had told me it was very funny and really good, and pretty much just started reading it without thinking about it too hard. I had no preconceptions about it and I feel that this approach was actually quite refreshing, as normally I find I have some idea of how I want things to go in books I read.

The Rosie Project is by Australian author Graeme Simsion, and was published in 2013. It follows the exploits of Professor Don Tillman, a genetics expert who has never successfully landed a second date, in his attempts to find a wife. To do this, he designs a questionnaire and starts the "Wife Project". Along the way, however, he meets Rosie - a young woman so incompatible with himself it's laughable, and things change.

Overall, I thought that The Rosie Project was wonderful - a really sweet love story with some genuinely unexpected twists and turns, and a will-they-won't-they that felt truly compelling. By the latter parts of the book I was cheering on both Don and Rosie and felt invested in their story and cared about what would happen to them and the supporting characters.

The language of The Rosie Project is probably the most unusual thing about it: the story is told from Don's point of view and as such in his voice. The language is analytical and sounds a little like an academic paper rather than a romance novel. While I know some people might be put off in the first few pages due to the language, once you get used to it, it seems less difficult and more like a strong character voice.

As I mentioned, I felt that I cared about the characters in The Rosie Project, and I think that they were well-written and interesting without being too trope-heavy. The sense of perspective Simsion has had in writing the various characters has worked really well: we only find out as much as we need to know for many side characters (and with the sizeable pool of them, this is a very good thing). This also fits perfectly with Don's personality as narrator, which is objective and not prone to focus on unnecessary things. However, characters closer to Don and closer to the action of the novel have more time and detail devoted to them. Gene and Rosie in particular were given a good deal of page-time, and considering Don's closeness to both of them this makes sense. I would have liked a little more development for Claudia, but this is a small complaint for me.

What I liked most about The Rosie Project is the heart that I feel the novel has: it is really pleasant to read from start to finish, and has a sweetness and comedy to it that I enjoyed immensely. I found the sections about designing the questionnaire for prospective wives very funny (especially with the regular consultations from Gene and Claudia), as well as Don's failed attempts at dating and the part where he scales the side of a New York building in order to escape a creepy plastic surgeon... which makes a lot more sense in context (as does the lobster on the front cover)!

As well as the romantic comedy that takes centre stage in the book, I found the sub-plot about the identity of Rosie's father to be an interesting accompaniment to the main action. I certainly made some wrong guesses over the course of the novel and felt intrigued by it. The sub-plot feels sensible and organic.

I heartily enjoyed The Rosie Project, and look forward to getting my hands on the sequel, The Rosie Effect, as soon as I can. As well as this, I am intrigued to see if the rumours of a film version are true!

Have you read The Rosie Project? Did you enjoy it? Are you interested to see a film of it?