The Rosie Project

I loved this book! It was a quick read that both made me think and made me laugh out loud. I feel like it was a timely read too as we just saw a play called The Curious Incident of a Dog at Nighttime with an autistic lead character. Although I have not had direct experience living with this type of person I am struck by how difficult it must be to deal with the constant “overwhelm” and the need for routine makes a lot of sense. The intense honesty of Don's character also sheds light on some of the relationship rules that are taken for granted but may not make sense if we take the time to really think about them. Great book.

This was incredibly fun - mostly it's lighthearted and funny, but it carries a certain emotional freight toward the end. Nota bene: near the start of the story, there's a characterization of folks with Aspergers as being unemotional, which got under my skin quite a bit (challenged in reading social cues is emphatically NOT the same as lacking emotions). But if that bothers you, I urge you to read on. Remember, this is a first-person narrative, and a lot of the story is about Don's assumptions about the world and whether they turn out to be correct.

I also worried that this would become your standard Manic Pixie Dream Girl trop-ish story, but while Rosie qualifies for that role, the way Simsion makes use of the idea feels fresh and earned, not cliche.

Edited to add:

Reading a couple of negative reviews, I want to point out that the reviewers seem to have read the story at a shallow, face-value level.

Rather than taking a “point and laugh” approach, I felt like Simsion relied very strongly on sympathy with Don, twinned with a more savvy realization of where his perfectly understandable read on things is going to get him in trouble. For example, the argument about the superiority of his technical athletic jacket over a blazer. The reason it's funny to me is that Don's position is entirely justifiable and logical, and you kind of have to agree with him, but he's still totally wrong. (Or maybe the reader needs to have some rigid-ah, I mean organized tendencies herself to really get Don? It's possible.)

Moreover, Don is an unreliable narrator, and Simsion subtly and gradually brings out details that indicate Don's characterization of his experiences includes quite a lot of self-deception. There's plenty of “anguish and humanity” in him - it's just he has sophisticated defense mechanisms against realizing it.

I quite enjoyed reading this, after a rather slow beginning, I couldn't put it down. However, I wouldn't say it was perfect.

I really liked Don. And yes, I couldn't help thinking of Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory.

Rosie, on the other hand, I just couldn't get a sense of who she really was. To me, she was a mostly a trope, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl with a small twist (for some reason I was really disappointed when it was revealed that she's not just a regular barmaid, she's getting her Phd in psychology. Why couldn't she be really smart and not have academic ambitions? This would have been a greater obstacle in their relationship.. She also happens to be drop dead gorgeous. I mean, it's absolutely wonderful that Don thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but we all know that she also caught sleazy Gene's eye, so the beauty wasn't only in the eye of the beholder. So she is basically beautiful, smart, funny, charming, creative. The perfect woman. Therefore, I wasn't really convinced about the obstacles in their relationship.

I also figured out who the father was before the second half of the book. And the ending was really cheesy. But, it was still a cute, thoroughly enjoyable read.

It was an interesting book. I didnt love it or hate but l'm giving it a 3 out of 5. I felt like I was reading about The Big Bang Theory, a little too similar to Sheldon. I felt like the relationship between Don and Rosie was a little too far fetched. Its a small book and I think it was fine because if would have been too long, I would'nt finish it.

Buenísima lectura en tono de comedia, cuyo argumento gira principalmente alrededor de un personaje principal tan peculiar y socialmente disfuncional con el que es imposible no sentirse al menos un poco identificado. Su forma de vivir y las perspectivas con que observa al mundo son tan curiosas como efectivas, aún cuando vayan en contra de su propia felicidad o satisfacción personal.

Semejante visión de lo que le rodea garantiza carcajadas a plena garganta, así que absténganse de leerlo en el transporte público!

This quick take originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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This was charming, witty, and had plenty of heart – even without the romance, which just took it all to another level. It was just plain fun to read.

Don Tillman is just a great character – he's likely someone with Asperger's, if not fully Autistic. Which is mentioned once or twice, and then not brought up again. He's then treated as a stubborn, curious, character with behavior patterns no one can seem to understand, but most people in his life figure out hot to cope with. Sometimes they laugh at him, sometimes they get frustrated or angry. What he's not treated as is someone with anything. He's not treated by his symptoms, he's just treated as this guy. Simsion's treatment of Don reminds me of Abed Nadir, from Community (which is high praise from me).

The only complaint I had was that the last chapter wasn't really needed, and maybe would've been best left to the imagination. But, setting that aside, it felt rushed, while the rest of the book was so well done, it just stuck out like a sore thumb.

Still, whatever – one of my favorite books of 2013, and still one of the best RomComs I can remember.

I went into this book completely unaware of what it was about. It's been sitting in my audible library forever and I decided it was time to give it a listen. Well, I get why people like this book, however, we've come a long way since 2013, and I just don't feel comfortable with a book written about a MC with Aspergers by an author without it. I'd much rather read something by an Own Voices author. I could critique the content more, but i found this book very off putting especially by the behavior of the neurotypical love interest who is also a psych phd candidate.

I liked the endearing parts of this book, but the “humor” was not it for me. I have issues with being gullible and overly literal in social situations and most of the comedic aspects of this book are laughing at Don's misunderstanding in any given moment. I liked that Rosie saw Don and met him where he was. I hated the constant mention of BMI. This is not my brand of romance or comedy. Daphne and Don's relationship was the best part and worth the 3 stars alone.

Don Tillman is a character like no other in fiction. He's classic Asperger's, with all the brilliance and bluntness and cluelessness and charm that entails. Fortunately he has a best friend, Gene, who is there to provide a window into Ordinary Human Life for Don.

When Don decides it's time to find a wife, he naturally sets out to find a woman who meets all his criteria. And fails. And fails. And fails.

And then he meets Rosie.Rosie meets none of his criteria. Yet somehow she is a perfect and impossible match for Don.

What will happen? You just can't help loving this little wacky romance.