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1-Page Summary of The Rosie Project

Overall Summary

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is about a man named Don Tillson who has Asperger’s Syndrome, which makes him unable to understand social cues and emotions. He decides that it’s time for him to find his life partner. Although he lives in Melbourne, Australia and New York City, the story is told from his perspective.

The Rosie Project is a novel that’s part of the initiation genre. It follows Don, who hasn’t been in love or had a significant relationship before this book. He grows up and has his first experience with romantic love during the course of the novel.

Don decides that it’s time for him to get married, so he creates a questionnaire with 16 pages of questions. He hopes this process will help him find someone who is perfect for him. When Rosie comes into the picture, Don mistakes her for an applicant and sets out to help her find her father in exchange for a date with Rosie.

Don and Rosie go on crazy adventures to collect the DNA of possible fathers for their baby. They fall in love, but they don’t want to admit it because she doesn’t fit his perfect partner profile, which includes being neat and organized. She’s messy, eats weird foods, and is always late. He doesn’t like her because he has social problems and dresses sloppily.

Don realizes he loves Rosie, and he knows that to be with her, he will have to change. He sets out to transform himself into a person she can love. They eventually get married and live happily ever after in New York City. The novel demonstrates how people navigate the requirements of a meaningful relationship while remaining true to themselves

Chapter 1

Don Tillman wants to get married. He is 39 years old and an assistant genetics professor. He has tried a number of ways to meet his future wife, including being set up by friends, but he hasn’t been successful so far.

Don has two friends, Gene Barrow, head of the university’s Psychology Department, and his wife Claudia. They have tried to help him with the Wife Problem but the traditional dating paradigm doesn’t work for Don.

Don realizes that he has some problems, despite his other advantages. He’s smart, tall and fit and works for a prestigious company. Don comes up with a solution to the Wife Problem when he agrees to give a lecture on Asperger’s Syndrome for Gene.

Gene leaves the lecture because he has an opportunity to have sex with a Chilean professor. Gene claims that his marriage is open and that this relationship falls under research for him, as he wants to have sex with women from different countries.

Chapter 2

Don is giving a lecture on Asperger’s Syndrome, which he considers to be a genetic variant rather than a disability. He believes that there are advantages to the way an Asperger’s person thinks, including organization and focus.

Don has had three friends in his life: one, who died because of medical incompetence; another, who is suffering from dementia; and the third, Claudia. Don’s solution to the Wife Problem is a 16-page questionnaire that he plans to use to find a wife. He will focus on women who meet his standards for marriage. His previous dating experiences have been disastrous and inefficient because he would date anyone without considering her suitability as a partner. Now that he knows what kind of woman he wants in his life, it’s time for him to get down to business with finding her by using an efficient questionnaire that will help him eliminate unsuitable candidates so that he can focus on finding someone suitable for marriage.

Chapter 3

Don was excited to get the Wife Project started, so he went to talk about it with his friend Gene. He arrived at their home early in the morning and met Claudia, who asked him if Asperger’s syndrome reminded him of anyone. Don said that it did remind him of Laszlo Hevesi in the Physics Department. Afterward, he arranged a dinner meeting for Saturday night. In addition to having a good relationship with both Barrow children—Eugenie (age 8) and Carl (age 16)—Don also has a good relationship with Eugenie’s mother, Claudia.