Terrific novel

I have both read and listened to this story ..... I enjoyed it so much! It is by far the best book I have read in a long time. I couldn't put it down! I have read the sequel and am now ready to listen to it too. Having a few male relatives with similar degrees of autism I found it fascinating and liberating. This book gave new insights and is written with brilliant humour that even my clever autistic husband found it amusing!

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13 people found this helpful

Great read

An excellent book that was well read. I did not know what to expect from this book but I found it funny, fast paced and although the plot was a bit predictable I would recommend it to male or female readers, especially those who are just a little bit on the spectrum!

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12 people found this helpful

Finally, more representation for people with ASDs.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) don't get fair representation in creative media. We're either stone cold (Bones), over the top (Rain Man), intellectually unreachable (The Good Doctor), or just straight up nutty (Lilo from Lilo and Stitch), with shades of grey in between. Don't even get me started on how Vaxxed presented us...

This book goes a long way towards righting those wrongs. By putting you in the shoes of a man (possibly) with Asperger's Syndrome, you see the world from his strictly regimented, data driven, black and white view, a view coloured in by his experiences with his female protagonist. You don't just see him in his world, you see how his world changes around him and those he cares about, and how he responds to those changes, good and bad.

I'll admit, I see a lot of myself in Don Tillman. Like him, I was born before Hans Asperger published his research and expanded the definition of autism. I was tested at the age of two and they had nothing with which to diagnose me, and the definitions they had led them down wrong paths, thankfully not destructively in Don's case. I'm not as severely regimented as he is (remember, folks, it's a spectrum) though quite so, and while experience has made me better in social situations, my lack of social instinct does catch me short from time to time. I obsess like a champion and, like Don, once I've got an idea in my head I pursue it inversely proportional to the sense it makes to those around me.

If you have loved ones (or even acquaintances) in your life on the spectrum, and you want to truly understand what's going on inside their head, read this book. It will tell you so much in ways we tend to struggle to articulate.

If I could give it more than five stars, I would.

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11 people found this helpful

Wonderfully engaging

Wonderful characters all round with a beautifully self aware protagonist. There are moments your heart breaks for Don alongside other times you realise his assessment of people and situations is hilariously spot on. A wonderfully realised character.

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10 people found this helpful

No concept of Autism

What would have made The Rosie Project better?

If the author had done a lot more research and interviews of people on the Autism Spectrum.
He seems to be giving his own assumptions about what drives our behaviours more priority than actually understanding us.

What will your next listen be?

A Terry Pratchett book. Finishing Neurotribes.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger. It was a hard read, what with making peace with all of the assumptions. I almost threw my phone when it got to the point where the charactor 'realised' he couldn't love Rosie.
Total lies. We feel massive amounts of empathy. We get overwhealmed by it. We definately love people, in varous forms.
If you are misinterpreting our behaviours, as this author does, as uncaring, arrogant and dismissive, it is understandable somewhat. Even I've misinterpreted Autistic people. But it is up to everyone to actually find out what is going on for the Autistic person.

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9 people found this helpful

Very enjoyable.

The Rosie Project is lovely light hearted and funny story of a man wisth undiagnosed ASD falling in love. I really enjoyed listening to the story and loved the Narrator's Australian accent.

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9 people found this helpful

Heteronormative, elitist fantasy fiction

Despite a commendable sense of comic timing that elicited a number of genuine laughs, this book fails to depict the experience of the majority of people with autism. Too many subsist below the poverty line, spending their lives either unemployed, underemployed, or in menial jobs, regardless of intelligence or motivation. People with autism frequently have difficulty with physical coordination, and can be female, transgendered, coloured, of below-average intellect, as well as male and white. In seeking, admirably, to humanise and legitimise those with autism for a neurotypical audience, the author presents an idealised version of the condition that ultimately eliminates most of the "problem" areas that lead those with autism to be undervalued. The straight, (awkwardly) masculine protagonist possesses remarkable physically dexterity and agility, being able to scale brick walls and execute precision martial arts moves. He's upwardly mobile, widely respected academically, and has his pick of lucrative international career choices. The list of "corrected" autistic "defects" goes on and on. Alright, a version of this individual probably exists. But please, don't build a hero for the mainstream by presenting someone who ticks all of the boxes for "extraordinary" minus some fluency in social cues. Value is not synonymous with success. A more powerful story would have presented the range of challenges actually faced by people with autism, and would have made an unapologetic powerhouse from them, poverty, sexuality, lack of formal education and all. "The Rosie Project" is a funny, heartwarming apology for the reality of those undervalued by a system that rewards whiteness, straightness, maleness, physical robustness, and exceptional educational and economic achievement, to the exclusion of those with lifelong challenges for whom such outcomes are unattainable. To those with autism out there who aren't "extraordinary" in any way other than the fact of being who they are: You are heroes just for getting by daily in a society that prizes a narrow set of characteristics you may or may not ever possess. You don't have to transform yourself into a Don Tillman or a Lisbeth Salander. Let's hope the next bestselling protagonist with autism, just like so many understated fictional neurotypical characters, is celebrated for their flawed human ordinariness. People can be moved without being inspired.

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4 people found this helpful

Interesting perspective

Liked this book...mostly due to the main charactors mental disposition and the educational opportunity ( although light ) it gave me into the life of people with Aspergers.

It was mostly curiosity that kept me engaged in this book rather than a rich story line.

I thought the narration was of high quality and would recommend this book to people's who a) want a male perspective on relationships, b) like a light humoured read and c) are curious about the vastly amazing mental spectrum of humanity.

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4 people found this helpful

Simply could not stop listening.

Absolutely brilliant It was such an engaging story that I couldn't put it down.
The best novel I can remember reading.

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4 people found this helpful

Interesting perspective

Not my normal type of read but I enjoyed it. I liked the characters & found the Aspergers perspective interesting. Great look at relationships.

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3 people found this helpful