The Rosie Project is a 2013 Australian novel written by Graeme Simsion. The story follows Don Tillman, a genetics professor who finds it difficult to form serious relationships with women. With the help of a friend, he creates a questionnaire to evaluate the qualities of potential female partners. His plans change when he meets Rosie, a woman who does not match many of Tillman's standards but becomes an important part of his life. The book was first published in Australia on January 30, 2013, by Text Publishing. The rights to the novel have been sold in more than 40 countries, and it has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. In 2014, the Australian Book Industry Association named the book Book of the Year. In the United States, the novel was published by Simon & Schuster, and in the United Kingdom, it was published by Penguin Books. A sequel titled The Rosie Effect was released in 2014, followed in 2019 by the third and final book in the trilogy, The Rosie Result.

Synopsis

Don Tillman is an Australian professor who studies genetics. He organizes his life carefully to reduce mistakes, improve himself, and become more happy. He struggles to connect with others, which has made it hard for him to find a romantic partner. This puzzles him because he believes his high intelligence, good health, money, and social standing should make him an attractive person to date.

After spending time with his friend Gene and Gene’s wife Claudia, Don creates a plan called the "Wife Project," which includes a questionnaire to help him find the perfect partner. However, the questionnaire does not work as well in practice, and it causes problems for potential matches.

Gene introduces Don to Rosie, a bartender. Don quickly decides she is not a good match based on his criteria. However, he becomes interested in her and agrees to help her find her biological father, a man her mother had a relationship with after a graduation party. Rosie’s mother is no longer alive, so Rosie cannot ask her for details. Don and Rosie use DNA testing to narrow down possible candidates, which Don secretly performs in a university lab under the pretense of an official project.

As time passes, Rosie challenges many of Don’s habits and beliefs. She reveals that she works as a bartender to afford her university education while earning a doctorate in psychology. Rosie also explains that her desire to find her biological father is partly due to her difficult relationship with her stepfather, Phil. Don later meets a woman who fits all his criteria but finds her unattractive.

The "Father Project" eventually narrows the possibilities to a few people, two of whom require Don and Rosie to travel to New York City. There, Rosie convinces Don to take a spontaneous trip through the city, which he enjoys. The two almost have sex, but Rosie changes her mind, unsure if a relationship with Don could work. They return to Australia, where Don continues the "Father Project" and realizes Gene may be Rosie’s father because he attended the party and was known for being promiscuous.

Don decides to test Gene’s DNA and proposes marriage to Rosie, realizing he is genuinely attracted to her. However, Rosie rejects him, explaining she does not feel love the same way he does. This rejection helps Don understand that he truly loves Rosie. He also decides to address Rosie’s relationship with Phil, as Rosie felt neglected by him.

Rosie discovers Gene may be her real father and confronts him with Claudia. Don arrives just as Phil punches Gene, revealing Phil was dating Rosie’s mother at the time of her conception. After this, Don and Rosie reconcile, and Rosie agrees to marry him. Rosie also reconciles with Phil. After their marriage, the couple moves to New York to start a new life. The story ends with Don testing Phil’s DNA, confirming he is Rosie’s biological father. Rosie’s mother kept the secret of her affair with Phil because Gene failed to teach his students about genetics, including eye color inheritance. Rosie learns the truth about her father, but her mother’s secret relationship remains unknown.

Film adaptation

In September 2014, Sony Pictures confirmed it had bought the rights to make a movie based on The Rosie Project. Graeme Simsion wrote the first version of the script, and later, screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber joined to complete the final script. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were considered to direct the film. In July 2015, Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to play the female lead. However, in October 2015, Lawrence left the project to star in another film, mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky. In July 2015, Richard Linklater was considered to direct after Lord and Miller left to work on other projects. When Lawrence left, Linklater also left the project.

In 2017, TriStar Pictures announced that Ben Taylor would direct the film. In 2021, Steve Falk and Henry Cavill were named as the director and lead actor, respectively.

In 2024, it was announced that Tom Holland would produce the film for TriStar Pictures as part of his new production company, Billy17.

Reception

The book The Rosie Project has received mostly positive reviews and was a bestseller in several countries. NPR gave a good review, saying the book was charming. Bill Gates included The Rosie Project as the only novel in his list of six books he recommends.

The book won the Book of the Year Award at the 2014 Australian Book Industry Awards.

People in the autism community generally responded positively. Jo Case, writing in Australian Book Review, said the book helps people understand autism better and challenges some common misunderstandings. Helen Hoang said reading The Rosie Project was meaningful for her. It was the first time she met a character like Don, and she felt a strong connection to him. Autism activist Stuart Neilson said, "I loved The Rosie Project, which had a good understanding of people like me." Scott Rickard said, "I felt seen." Autistic advocate Lyric Holmans ("Neurodivergent Rebel") also recommends the book.

However, researcher Anna N. de Hooge believes the book supports the idea of "Aspie supremacy," which she compares to anti-autistic ableism, calling them "two sides of the same coin." She notes that some people support this idea.

Awards

• International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (Ireland) – Longlisted, 2015
• Australian Book Industry's Book of the Year – Winner, 2014
• Australian Book Industry's General Fiction Book of the Year – Winner, 2014
• Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award – Shortlisted, 2014
• Best Debut Fiction (Independent Booksellers of Australia Awards) – Shortlisted, 2014
• Waverton Good Read Award (United Kingdom) – Shortlisted, 2014
• The Indie Awards – Shortlisted, 2014
• Victorian Premier's Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript – Winner, 2012