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| The Rosie Effect |
Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because - surprise - Rosie is pregnant.
Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he's left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie.
As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most.
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The Rosie Effect
Author: Graeme Simsion
Preceded book: The Rosie Project
Year published: 21 July 2015
Genre: Romance, Humor
I purchased the complete trilogy of this book last year and finished the first book in September 2019. After that, I feel the book is already completed and afraid the sequel will ruin everything. So I deferred another year to read the second book.
It was a slow read. I finished in two months, and almost give up halfway but I feel obliged to finish it since I purchased the third book. Finally, I finished it at weekend, intermittent with watching movies.
So, this book is the second book of the Rosie Project. Even after a year, I still remember clearly the character of Don Tillman, an eccentric assistant professor who falls in love with the smart and beautiful girl, Rosie.
They got married. Rosie found his father but Rosie needs to continue her study in Columbia, New York, halfway across the continent. They moved to the U.S and adjusting their life. Don has reset his schedule and now everything finally works in order. He can live with Rosie, they can balance their life together.
But suddenly, Rosie announced that "we're pregnant." Being Don's, it has affected the panic attack. He run away from the apartment. They didn't plan the pregnancy together, only Rosie didn't take the birth control pill. Okay, this is Rosie's first 'mistake'.
Supported by his new friends, Dave and Sonia, Don finally came around. He tried to accept the reality that He should support Rosie. He doesn't want to send the wrong signal to Rosie that he didn't want this pregnancy.
Don starts to learn about pregnancy. He read books and tried to ease Rosie's burden by preparing healthy meals and draw Bud's (the fetus name) development every week.
However, Rosie is very busy preparing her thesis and tasks. She has mood swings, her hormones affect her brain and everything. She is focusing on Bud and slowly abandoned her relationship with Don. She didn't inform Don to join Sonogram check-up to Doctor, and assuming Don will automatically come.
That, the only Don's first mistake that made Rosie conclude that Don didn't care about Bud. Later on, events after events, Rosie and Don became very distant.
Oke, to be honest, that annoyed me so much. Pregnant Rosie is like an entirely different woman from smart, idealistic, and considerate Rosie. She just shut down herself, judging and assuming. I know, pregnancy is so hard for women. But really? that far?
In the last part, Don will finally understand why Rosie behaves like that, explained by Claudia, Gene's ex-wife. Even if it is logically accepted, but I still feel the conflict between Don and Rosie is not really exist.
The only savior in this book is Gene's existence. Kicked out from his home in Australia, Gene comes to New York to live with Don and Rosie. Thanks to Gene, the humor and witty aspects of this book are still alive.
And there is George, the landlord, and drummer. Added to Don's additional friend circle.
Overall, this book is like missing the 'fun and hilarious' soul due to the Pregnant Rosie. It is still easy to read and the plot is well-linked. Don is being meticulous as usual but a bit judgemental (there is an event where Rosie read a novel, and Don assumes that Rosie is really unhappy so she needs to escape to the fantasy book. Oh come on, Don! You'd better than that!).
I get it that the author wants to emphasize the difficulty of someone who incapable to feels other's emotions, to have a child. And I understand that during their relationship, Rosie is always the understanding one, so when she is being pregnant, she needs to be understood but it didn't work out since she doesn't say so to Don. But that cannot justify my annoyance that's the reason they are being distant.
And the last part, the accident in the plane. Ok, it is a little bit too much for me.
Anyway, this book is still worth to read although a bit below the standard of the first book. The reason why you will still love this book is Don. The best character of Don. The good-hearted Don, the clear and honest of him, and the train of thought that well described as good as the previous one.
So, If you love Don, then you will still want to read this book.
Maybe I will read the third book, next year!
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