Of late, I’ve somewhat struggled with my reading endeavours. I’ve started – and stopped – a number of books in the past couple of weeks that haven’t quite grabbed me. Often it can turn reading, one of my favourite things to do, into something of a chore. As it was, over the weekend I was half way through a novel that I’ve been reading on and off for a fortnight or so, when I decided to move on to a different book, namely The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
Telling the story of socially awkward genetics professor Don Tillman who suffers from undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, The Rosie Project is a unique and beautifully written book that I read in one sitting. A humourous, touching tale, The Rosie Project follows Tillman as he creates a thorough questionnaire that he hopes will assist in his quest for a wife. And having devised the sixteen page questionnaire, Rosie appears on the scene; a woman who certainly fits none of the selection criteria – an outspoken barmaid she smokes, drinks and swears causing Don to write her off immediately. However, when Don agrees to help her find her biological father, casting Don’s quest for a wife to the back of his mind, an unlikely friendship between the two characters blossoms.
Comparisons have been drawn with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time; due in no small part to the prominence of social awkwardness and Asperger’s Syndrome throughout the book. Tillman is both an engaging and affable narrator whose idiosyncracies give the tale a tone of poignancy and charm.
Both comic and clever, humorous and heartwarming, it’s easy to see why The Rosie Project is set to become this year’s publishing phenomenon.
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I loved this one too! I read it a few months ago, and had to re-read it immediately because I found the story so engaging I wasn’t reading it properly, I just wanted to find out what happens next. Aunt xx
Well we obviously share similar taste in books Aunty Kate! Any other recommendations of the non-science fiction variety?! xx
Hi, niece. Well, I’m currently finding myself making all kinds of excuses not to do things because I can’t tear myself away from Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It’s riveting, nasty, beautiful, overblown, passionate, searingly honest, inspiring and horrifying. I have to discipline myself to put it down at night, or I wouldn’t sleep. Bearing in mind that it’s 933 pages long in paperback, I’d be a crumbling wreck fairly soon if I didn’t… What else? Hmm, curiously, the world seems to be pushing me to run too. Ruth Field’s Run, Fat Bitch, Run is just the sort of anti-encouragement that appeals to me, especially since I looked like a fat porker in my wedding dress, and now you’ve written a review of a book about running. And finally, The String Diaries, by Stephen Lloyd Jones. Weird, but compulsive. It takes forever to get any idea what’s going on, but by God, when it does reveal itself, it sure gallops along. Aunt xx
I picked this up in the local bookshop the other day and couldn’t make up my mind whether it was something I’d enjoy reading or not – interesting to hear your thoughts. I definitely enjoyed ‘The Curious Incident’ so maybe I’ll have a closer look at this next time it’s to hand 🙂
Oh, I would definitely pick it up next time it’s close to hand – it’s clever, captivating and a really brilliant read! 🙂
High praise indeed – I shall look out for it next time I’m in a library or a bookshop 🙂