In his own words, Graeme Simsion was an IT consultant. Since he is also the author of this book, Graeme has switched profession. Since I also belong to the same field, I was naturally curious to know how interesting the book is and how fortunate is Graeme's switch. For the first book, he creates Don Tillman, a genetics professor in Melbourne. He has never been able to find a partner and hence wants to use science to identify the perfect match for him. So Tillman builds an elaborate questionnaire which will help him eliminate the time wasters. As you can see, the premise is absurd and captivating on account of its absurdity.
The books rest on several key things which are familiar to us. Sometimes what we seek is closer to us than we think it is. Opposites attract. Those are many of the things which will come into our mind as we read the book. But these are just revelations. What makes us laugh all through the book is the simplicity of Tillman's thinking. He is a nice person who doesn't understand sarcasm and is very inept at social behavior. So when Graeme describes Tillman's scientific approach to matters of the heart, it accentuates the impracticability and hence provides excellent fodder for a comedy. Tillman starts with the Wife Project but it soon get diverted into the Rosie Project.
There are talks on making this book into a movie. If you believe the various tidbits on the net, Graeme intended this as a screenplay. He decided on the novel to gain popularity. If you examine, most of the plot twists are cinematic, but we overlook this factor because Tillman's reactions to these twists are explained by the author. However, if this is a movie, how will an actor translate the workings of a mind into acting? As a book, it is enthralling. But as a movie, it is a risky business. If you are looking for a light-hearted read, pick this one up.
Comments
Post a Comment