Product Description

Marian is determined to be ordinary. She lays her head gently on the shoulder of her serious fiancee and quietly awaits marriage. But she didn't count on an inner rebellion that would rock her stable routine, and her digestion. Marriage a la mode, Marian discovers, is something she literally can't stomach ...The Edible Woman is a funny, engaging novel about emotional cannibalism, men and women, and desire to be consumed. 'Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance ...a joy to read' Good Housekeeping 'Written with a brilliant angry energy' Observer 'A witty, elegant, generous and patient writer' Punch

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10489 in Books
• Published on: 1994-04-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 281 pages

Review
'Margaret Atwood is genuinely funny and makes her point engagingly'THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE 'The novel offers some ironic reflections on marriage, guilt and the relationship between the sexes - classic Atwood territory' GUARDIAN 'A subtle and penetrating observer of relationships between men and women' SUNDAY TIMES 'Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance...a real joy to read' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Written with a brilliant angry energy' OBSERVER 'A witty, elegant, generous and patient writer' PUNCH

This is a first novel of genuine style applied to the most ordinary circumstances. . . disconcerting, faintly ominous, and moving with the greatest of ease from the expected to the unexpected. Marian, who works in market research and whom most people consider "abnormally normal," is about to marry Peter who is unquestionably attractive but just too appropriate. As contrasted with her scatty roommate Ainsley who decides to have a deliberately fatherless baby; or another friend trapped into producing one infant after another; or Duncan, an eclectic-to-eccentric student she meets, almost providentially at times, who is a habitue of laundromats and indulger of fantasies. Her upcoming marriage seems to synchronize with her encroaching revulsion, toward foods - first meats and eggs progressing to the humble carrot as recurring images fuse (ingestion/gestation/death) and finally cause her complete funk into flight. . . . Miss Atwood's talent is her own, although you might use Penelope Mortimer as a rough designation. For its intelligence gentled by sympathy, its eye for telltale detail, and its humor which ranges from wit to some waywardly funny scenes - a distinct pleasure to read. (Kirkus Reviews)

GUARDIAN
'The novel offers some ironic reflections on marriage, guilt and the relationship between the sexes classic Atwood territory'

SUNDAY TIMES
' A subtle and penetrating observer of relationships between men and women'

Customer Reviews

Ashendon Book Group says...
This book had a mixed response from members. There were those who enjoyed it as a novel of its era, a social history snapshot of Canada in 1965, but others who found its one dimensional characters and lack of real purpose rather boring. Attwood paints a satirical view of life in marketing and customer surveys, and of the landlady, which add small elements of comedy, but otherwise everyday activities seem tedious. However she is bold in introducing a single mother character - totally taboo at the time - but in the end even she (Ainsley) conforms by deciding the baby needs a father.

(Almost) a contemporary novel
This is the first book I read by Margaret Atwood, it was written in 1965 but I believe that the only aspects giving away the years depicted are the absence of modern technology in the narrative (i.e. mobile phones, computers etc. -not that this is a "technological" read anyway, just the opposite) and perhpas, only perhaps -that's the way I perceived it- a certain candour in some of the characters/situations which conveys "something" dated.

It's the tale of Marian, a quiet, well-brought up girl in her early 20s who's struggling to conform to the demands and unwritten rules of society. This is not because she does not want to, in fact, she would like to, but she realises that her inner self craves more than a proper, suitable and predictable routine (a good job, a respectable marriage, children in due time etc.), as it was expected -and often still is, if you think about it-. Something in her rebels, in a subtle but undeniably determined way. Will she manage to tackle and overcome her gnawing uneasiness, consistently on the rise, rapidly becoming a true torment and assailing her inner being? (A fact that her "cool" but obtuse boyfriend completely fails to see). That's for you to find out if you get this book.

Bearing in mind the year in which this book was written, some considerations about our modern society arise. Have women's -and men's- roles changed much since then? Of course they have, in many ways. Still, could and can a demanding society have such an impact in the configuration of our lives -or, in what we thought/think our life should be like- that sometimes we felt and feel crushed under the pressure? Has the vortex of speed in which the world has changed in this past century -with its good and bad consequences- changed the core of human nature? These are questions which came to mind as soon as I turned the last page.

I'm glad I read this book, but at the same time I cannot honestly place it among my favourites. For instance, in the beginning it almost completely failed to engage me and I kept on only because I always do (as a principle). Thankfully the tale got more interesting later on, which helped, even though I think the author was overly-descriptive especially, but not only, in connection with Marian's issues, rendering the read a bit tedious. Still, and it may sound like a contradiction, I do think it was worth reading it, because it triggers questions and comparisons with today's Western society, and it was certainly worth it for the quality of its prose, essentially studied and quite elegant.

Masterful Atwood at her best
I've been reading Margaret Atwood for 15 years now, and I have been so moved by so many of her books (Cat's Eye, Handmaid's Tale & Surfacing, to name a few). I'm pleased to say that this book has not disappointed in any way. It is absolutely masterful, almost erotic in places, full of symbolism and intent. It's classic Atwood and has me wanting to haul out all of my older books and re-read them. (And I don't often re-read books). It is amazing to see how much her writing has changed as she has grown older, but it is equally astonishing that I'm well into my 30's now and her books still have the same hold on me, no matter in which stage of her life she was writing them.

This is an important author, as much now as she was in the 70's. Read all of her books.