Format: Paperback
Synopsis from Goodreads:Meet Don Tillman. Don is getting married. He just doesn't know who to yet. But he has designed a very detailed questionnaire to help him find the perfect woman. One thing he already knows, though, is that it's not Rosie. Absolutely, completely, definitely not.
I LOVED this story and just can't really fault it in any way, shape, or form. It's interesting that the author said it started out as a screenplay because it was very cinematic. However before I found that out, I had been chastising myself for turning everything I read into a film in my head because should we really be doing that? That's not a rhetorical question, I really don't know if author's like us doing that or not. Especially when we complain about all the adaptations. Anyway, The Rosie Project was as near to perfect as you can get - a highly intelligent rom-com. Whilst reading it, I had been watching this brilliant Channel 4 series called First Dates and couldn't help hearing the theme music [below] whenever Don talked about his projects.
The cast of characters was fairly small, which was good because I ended up caring about all of them - yes, including Gene! Don was probably one of the sweetest characters I've ever encountered during my literary adventures. He's tied with Ryan Dean West from Winger as my favourite character of the year so far. Rosie was a delight too because she actually seemed normal. It sounds stupid but I think it's quite difficult to write a love interest who seems like a 'normal', regular, everyday person who has good days and bad days but isn't some kind of manic pixie, femme fatale, or whatever other stereotypes are favoured these days. Basically, I wanted Rosie to be my friend. In fact, she kind of reminded me of one of my friends quite a bit.
I don't know too much about Asperger's but I do know/knew people like Don. However, I liked the way it wasn't the main focus of the book because we are more than our diagnoses (real or imagined). In a way, this book reminded me a little of the film Adam, which starred Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, who is Australian, just like Rosie. How'd you like them apples? Anyway, Adam is a brilliant film and I'd recommend it whether you liked The Rosie Project or not.
As for the inevitable movie, I just hope they make sure it's completely Australian and I'm positive it will be a box office hit. We don't need Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, love them as I do, just keep it homegrown and authentic. Oh and have Miguel d'Oliveira, the First Dates composer from above, do the music. Perfecto.
Overall, it was a charming and hilarious, wonderfully sweet, big bear hug of a novel. I loved it!
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