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izzywolf's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! It’s even better that it’s magaret Atwood’s first book. I think i relate a little too closely to Marian and I really enjoyed reading it.
jwilding's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read. Poor Marian, although, I did get to a point where I just wished she'd go to a bit of therapy. Probably because of how close to home her behavior and situation were. Too much exposition. The cake really was terrifying in the most perfect way, as was Duncan and all the non-friends. Clara and Joe were my favorite, followed closely by Leonard receding into the recesses of their house, playing with Arthur's toys, and fighting over them with him. It was a treat to see so many stereotypes I've been poring over lately characterized so well and so entertainingly.
"My skin felt stifled, as though I was enclosed in a layer of moist dough."
"She registered neither pleasure nor boredom; her inert patience was that of a pitcher-plant in a swamp with its hollow bulbous leaves half-filled with water, waiting for some insect to be attracted, drowned, and digested."
"When I woke up on Sunday morning--it was closer to Sunday afternoon--my mind was at first as empty as though someone had scooped out the inside of my skull like a cantaloupe and left me only the rind to think with."
"You were supposed to keep your live turtle in a cardboard box or other cage for about a week, loving it and feeding it hamburger to get rid of its impurities. Then just as it was beginning to trust you and perhaps follow you around the kitchen like a sluggish but devoted hard-shelled spaniel, you put it one day into a cauldron of cold water (where no doubt it would swim and dive happily, at first) and then brought it slowly to the boil. The whole procedure was reminiscent of the deaths of early Christian martyrs."
"Marian's mind grasped at the word 'immature', turning it over like a curious pebble found on the beach. It suggested an unripe ear of corn, and other things of a vegetable or fruitlike nature. You were green and then you ripened: became mature. Dresses for the mature figure. In other words, fat."
"My skin felt stifled, as though I was enclosed in a layer of moist dough."
"She registered neither pleasure nor boredom; her inert patience was that of a pitcher-plant in a swamp with its hollow bulbous leaves half-filled with water, waiting for some insect to be attracted, drowned, and digested."
"When I woke up on Sunday morning--it was closer to Sunday afternoon--my mind was at first as empty as though someone had scooped out the inside of my skull like a cantaloupe and left me only the rind to think with."
"You were supposed to keep your live turtle in a cardboard box or other cage for about a week, loving it and feeding it hamburger to get rid of its impurities. Then just as it was beginning to trust you and perhaps follow you around the kitchen like a sluggish but devoted hard-shelled spaniel, you put it one day into a cauldron of cold water (where no doubt it would swim and dive happily, at first) and then brought it slowly to the boil. The whole procedure was reminiscent of the deaths of early Christian martyrs."
"Marian's mind grasped at the word 'immature', turning it over like a curious pebble found on the beach. It suggested an unripe ear of corn, and other things of a vegetable or fruitlike nature. You were green and then you ripened: became mature. Dresses for the mature figure. In other words, fat."
livrahd's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
janada59's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to say I really enjoyed this book, but it's one I read for the first time in high school, and re-read it every few years. It's certainly a book that sticks with you.
sheepchase's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sour, dry, humorous in a sharp way. sort of like a really good story that would come out of a creative fiction workshop but didn’t connect with it much more than that
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
2.0
I was super excited to read this book... especially since I had read a few short stories by Margaret Atwood. Although I didn't really have much trouble getting through it... I really didn't feel that attached to or intrigued by the subject matter. Yes, I followed the feminist themes and musings, etcetera, but I feel this is one of those books that in order to truly appreciate it you need to have long winded discussions about it. I am not ruling out Margaret Atwood, but I am going to put her on the side for a little while.
naninana's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Definitely not a casual/lighthearted read; weird in a good way, often uncomfortable, but in exactly the way that makes Atwood's books so gripping. It's interesting to read a feminist novel from the '60s, realizing how much and, at the same time, how little feminist thinking has changed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Alcohol
sunwaves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i can’t say i enjoyed reading this very much, and i love symbolism in books, but not so much in the edible woman. i don’t think this is the kind of book you’re supposed to enjoy anyway, it’s grim and dark all too real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Eating disorder
lydia_woolf's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75