We begin with our main character, Don. He is the best genetics researcher in the world (self proclaimed), but we come to find out that it’s likely to be true. Without reading it explicitly, we soon discover that Don has Autism Spectrum Disorder. With his inability to recognize certain social cues (without close scientific analysis) and his extraordinary memory, Don makes for one of the most interesting protagonists that I have come across in all of literature.
Because of Don’s poor social skills, he hasn’t had much luck in the dating realm. The Rosie Project takes us on a journey into Don’s mind as he attempts to find a “suitable person” to marry. After designing “The Wife Project,” posting questionnaires online and handing them out at speed dating events, Don’s friend Gene introduces him to a woman named Rosie, a spontaneous psychologist that meets very few of Don’s questionnaire requirements.
The Rosie Project is entertaining from cover to cover. Books very rarely make me laugh out loud, but this was an exception. The reader gets to know Don well, and begins to root for him, hoping he finds the love of his life. It’s an untraditional love story with a traditional moral. We often create the perfect person in our minds, whether it’s through scientific reasoning or blind emotion, only to find out that the person that makes us truly happy doesn’t fit into any of our preconceived categories.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s delightfully funny, and although it is a light read, it deals with some complicated issues about love and social norms.
Life Lessons
- Sometimes we have to relinquish control of our rational minds, and hand the reigns over to our emotions. Some people make us happy, and we can’t really understand why.
- The ideal mate doesn’t exist. We create a list of requirements only to find out, if we actually find that person, the ideal person we have created doesn’t necessarily make us happy.
- Maybe the best way to decide if you love someone is not by looking at their personality, appearance, and list of arbitrary requirements, but by looking back at the time spent together and asking yourself if you were happy in those times.
- A combination of order AND disorder is necessary in life. We can learn a lot of lessons from Don’s rigid schedule and organization. We can also learn to let go, thanks to Rosie.
Literature and Life 