Book 1: The Rosie Project

"I may have found a solution to The Wife Problem" is a bold opening sentence for any novel, let alone a debut, but it is entirely fitting with the rest of Graeme Simsion's life-affirmingly brave venture into the world of literature. It defies social convention through its mere existence: a romantic novel whose protagonist is on the Autistic Spectrum. Simsion's use of the first person narrative is compelling from the very beginning, as Don Tillman, a middle-aged Australian geneticist, lets us in to his very different world, where sarcasm and empathy are largely alien concepts. As a result of his differing perceptions of and reactions to the world around him, Don has struggled to befriend people, and has never maintained a romantic connection with anyone. Therefore, he starts The Wife Project, which consists of an extensive survey that his potential mates must fill out in order that he can find the perfect woman without needing to waste his time dating 'unsuitable' ones. Some of the many criteria involve a healthy BMI, no drinking or smoking, punctuality and no history of STDs. So far, so unconventional.

This is the point where the sweeping stereotypes of every love story ever written fall into place and someone totally 'unsuitable' becomes the love of his life. But Simsion prevents this from becoming just another love story through Don's unique perspective on the world, which brings an unconventional twist to the story, as he realises that he has fallen in love with Rosie several chapters after the reader. The love story is underpinned by The Father Project, in which Don completely disregards The Wife Project and instead devotes his spare time to trying to find Rosie's father through a series of fabricated encounters and DNA testing. Throughout the novel, Don struggles to understand why he continuously goes so far out of his way for Rosie (at one point he drives for 14 hours across Australia to meet her potential Grandmother), failing to recognise the deep-rooted feelings that he has for her, which defy the logic on which he has always based every decision in life.

This refreshing approach to the conventional love story reflects on society as a whole and the strangeness of 'normal' human behaviour. It celebrates people who are different, and highlights the significance of their contribution to society, an important and often overlooked message in society. But, more than that, this novel challenges you to see the world through the eyes of someone whose brain is wired in a very different way to the majority of people, and that is a major accomplishment on the part of Simsion. The Rosie Project is compelling enough to interrupt a Netflix addiction, witty enough to make you laugh out loud and different enough to make you reassess how you look at the world around you. A must read.