"A qualitative and gratifying continuation of the previous narrative entitled The Rosie Project. In"
Reviewed by Dot Dittman
Posted December 12, 2014
Romance Contemporary | Contemporary
With THE ROSIE EFFECT, the engaging sequel to The Rosie
Project, Graeme Simsion has done it again! Readers will
return eagerly to the misadventures of Don Tillman and his
wife, Rosie. In this installment, Don is working at
Columbia University and Rosie is completing her PhD in
medicine.
Rosie announces to Don "we are pregnant!"And Don, in his
logical way deduces that it is impossible because 1) it
implied that his state had changed as well as Rosie's, 2)
they hadn't scheduled it, and 3) Rosie was using oral
contraceptives. But she IS pregnant.
Graeme Simsion takes the anxiety of a expectant father
multiplies it several times over. Don Tillman is a
perfectionist and he is determined to be a perfect helper
to Rosie and father to B.U.D. (baby under development). He
is the cook in the family, so he takes it upon himself to
improve Rosie's nutrition. He researches relentlessly and
she is not happy with being told what to eat and what
activities to avoid. He shops for and buys the perfect
stroller. He has his father design the perfect (and
soundproof) crib. He sees everything as a series of
problems waiting to be solved. Rosie feels controlled and
under pressure. She tells him to get out of her way and
take care of himself.
Don decides to work on himself and develop some parenting
skills. He thinks that watching children play will give
him
some understanding of children. He starts taking a video
at
a playground, and is arrested as a possible pedophile. He
doesn't tell Rosie because he reasons that it will stress
her, and stress will increase her cortisol levels, and
cortisol is harmful to B.U.D.
This is just the beginning of THE ROSIE EFFECT and how it
impacts every aspect of their lives; both personal and
professional. Introduce the influence and problems of some
not-so-average friends who make claims on Don's time as
well...and it becomes a hilarious formula for disaster.
Simsion has created an endearing and flawed character in
Don. He is always honest. He will try to solve any problem
that comes his way. He never means any harm. Some people
think he has no feelings. He argues that just because his
emotions are controlled, it doesn't mean that he lacks
them. People try to label him, but he resists as he has
his whole life.
I admire both Don Tillman the character AND Graeme Simsion
the author. There is a lesson in this book, but it doesn't
beat a person over the head; it humorously coaxes
understanding and acceptance for all people despite their
quirks and differences. I positively
anticipate a further installment. In other words, I hope
there's another sequel!
SUMMARY
The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times
bestselling novel The Rosie Project, starring the
same extraordinary couple now living in New York and
unexpectedly expecting their first child. Get ready to fall
in love all over again. Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is
complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living
in New York. But they’re about to face a new challenge
because— surprise!—Rosie is pregnant. Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father,
but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with
the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to
offer advice: he’s left Claudia and moved in with Don and
Rosie. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research,
getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the
industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his
apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business,
and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he
almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose
Rosie when she needs him the most. Graeme Simsion first introduced these unforgettable
characters in The Rosie Project, which NPR called
“sparkling entertainment along the lines of Where’d You
Go Bernadette and When Harry Met Sally.” The
San Francisco Chronicle said, “sometimes you just need a
smart love story that will make anyone, man or woman, laugh
out loud.” If you were swept away by the book that’s
captivated a million readers worldwide, you will love The
Rosie Effect.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: A qualitative and gratifying continuation of the previous narrative entitled The Rosie Project. In
The entire title of my review didn't fit. It was supposed to finish with: "In other words, a charming sequel!"
(Dot Dittman 10:11am December 14, 2014)
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