The Rosie Project is narrated by Don Tillman a surprisingly charming but socially challenged genetics professor who is on a quest to find out if he is capable of true lovely, namely the 'Wife Project'. He conducts a 'Wife Project' questionnaire where he asks various important questions, she will be punctual and logical- definitely not a smoker, drinker, late-arriver or barmaid. Coincidentally, Rosie Jarman comes under all of these things. She's intelligent, fiery and also working on a project of her own, finding her biological father. Don's Wife Project is put aside and Rosie's 'Father Project' commences and an unlikely relationship develops, throwing together a scientifically minded professor with a spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie. This story reveals that love isn't always what looks good on paper.
For me this novel is unique tale of its own, yes it is a romantic comedy but its not quite what you expect. You're faced with Don a very well organised (perhaps too organised) man who knows exactly what he wants from a woman and insists on nothing more and nothing less, for me I wanted to knock some sense into him and destroy his very tight schedule that he carries out each day without fail! You want to throw a spanner in the works and shake things up a bit, which Rosie certainly does! Don's character grew on me. Not only is he intelligent but he has great wit and with the situations he gets himself into, it is just utterly hilarious! Rosie tosses Don's scheduled life out the window and projects a very much feminist personality. With her vibrant red hair and unique style, she is everything Don doesn't want in a potential life partner.
My overall opinion the reader is meant to find Don quite unbearable and throughout the novel this perception is meant to change just like his relationship with Rosie. I think the message of this story is that not everything is what it seems and the famous "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover" concept can be related to. No one is perfect and they will have flaws, but its perhaps them flaws that end up being not regarded as such a bad thing as it makes up the person they have fallen in love with, and therefore them faults also become what the person loves about the other too.
