''The Rosie Effect'' is a 2014 novel by Australian novelist Graeme Simsion and the second book of a trilogy including the previous instalment, ''
The Rosie Project
''The Rosie Project'' is a 2013 Australian novel by Australian novelist Graeme Simsion. The novel centres on genetics professor Don Tillman, who struggles to have a serious relationship with women. With a friend's help, he devises a questionnair ...
'', and its sequel, '' The Rosie Result''. The work was first published on 24 September 2014 in Australia / New Zealand by Text Publishing and the rights have since been sold in 24 other territories. International sales are more than 1 million copies. In the United States the novel was published through
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
and in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
through
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Asperger’s syndrome, though this is never stated explicitly.
In the prequel ''The Rosie Project'', a romantic comedy novel, he met and married Rosie Jarman, a psychology PhD candidate at a university in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. ''The Rosie Effect'' is set in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where Don and Rosie have moved. Don has taken up an associate professor position at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
and Rosie has enrolled in a
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...
degree while she concurrently completes the PhD. Early in the story, Rosie becomes pregnant, and Don's philandering mentor, Gene, who has left his wife Claudia, comes to live with them.
The book follows Don's attempts to prepare for parenthood and to support Rosie in her own preparation, drawing on science and the unreliable advice of his friends. Don's unconventional approach alienates Rosie and eventually leads to the breakdown of their marriage. Don pursues Rosie and persuades her to return.
Film adaptation
Sony Pictures optioned film rights to ''The Rosie Effect'' in September 2014. No plans for a sequel have been announced.
Reception
Critical reception for ''The Rosie Effect'' has been mostly positive and the book was a bestseller in multiple countries. NPR praised the book for not overly romanticizing Don, for achieving a tricky balance, and for its "classic Hitchcockian suspense".
Bill Gates
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...
included ''The Rosie Effect'' as the only novel in his Top Five Books for 2014. ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', which had praised ''The Rosie Project'', published two reviews, one of which criticized the novel as "formulaic" while the second called it "a very funny book, possibly the funniest this year".
Awards
* Indie Book Awards (Australia), Shortlisted, 2015
* Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award, Shortlisted, 2015
* Australian Book Industry General Fiction Award, Shortlisted, 2015