BookBrowse Reviews The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

BookBrowse:

Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back, and they're about to face a new challenge because - surprise! - Rosie is pregnant.

Don Tillman, the endearing and unlikely star of Graeme Simsion's New York Times bestseller The Rosie Project, and his sassy bride Rosie Jarman have moved from Australia to New York so she can pursue a medical degree at Columbia while Don works as a visiting professor there. Not long after they arrive, Rosie discovers that she has some unexpected news – she's pregnant. Of course Don handles the information the only way he knows how – with logic, rigid rules, schedules, and unwittingly inappropriate social behavior meant to test his paternal mettle.

It's difficult not to compare sequels to their original counterparts, and all too often sequels take something that was fresh and imaginative and repeat the same jokes until they aren't funny, or make unique characters mere caricatures of themselves. And while I suppose there's a hint of that in The Rosie Effect, I actually like the second book more than the first. It successfully maintains a light-hearted, comical tone, and the new scenarios are funnier (even if a little more suspension of disbelief is required). Fans of the original have plenty to look forward to.

Additional characters – specifically George, a former rock star who happens to be Don and Rosie's landlord; and Dave, an average Joe who likes beer and baseball stats – breathe new life into Simsion's writing. Likewise, the return of old characters like Gene, Rosie's womanizing thesis advisor from Australia who also moves to New York, allows Simsion to give more depth to his original characters. (Unfortunately, Rosie is the exception. While in the first book she's a dynamic, strong and caring person, she comes off as rather one-dimensional here.)

Perhaps the most enjoyable quality of Simsion's book is that its hero – Don Tillman – is not your average rom-com beau. Despite the fact that he looks like Gregory Peck, he lacks the suave and debonair personality of a movie star. He is awkward in social situations, he can't read others' facial expressions, he obsesses over details that bore most people, and his brain only seems to work in a mathematical way. It is never directly discussed in the novel, but Don shows signs of Asperger syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism (see Beyond the Book), though he isn't aware of it. This dramatic irony heightens the humor in the story, and such a unique and unusual protagonist gives the book a fresh feel. It's so satisfying to root for an odd ball.

And while I didn't find myself laughing out loud – I'm a tough customer that way – there were a few genuinely funny scenes that I enjoyed. Mouthing off to New York City police officers after acting creepy at a local playground, getting fired from his part-time bartending job for insulting a celebrity guest, mandatory attendance in the Good Fathers program, and… well… the Bluefin Tuna Incident, all put a smile on my face.

This novel isn't great literature, but it's fun, and worth a read if you're in the mood for something light. It's the kind of book that, in the hands of the right actor and director, could be hilarious on-screen (which, incidentally, seems to be in the works for The Rosie Project). I recommend this novel to fans of the first book (though The Rosie Effect is fine as a standalone), to people interested in an unusual narrator, to those who enjoy books set in New York, and to anyone looking for an easy, humorous read.

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in January 2015, and has been updated for the September 2015 edition. Click here to go to this issue.

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