The Edible Woman

A brilliant and powerful work rich in irony and metaphor, The Edible Woman is an unforgettable masterpiece by a master of contemporary literary fiction. Ever since her engagement, the strangest thing has been happening to Maria McAlphin: she can’t eat. First meat. Then eggs, vegetables, cake, pumpkin seeds—everything! Worse yet, she has the crazy feeling that she's being eaten. Maria ought to feel consumed with passion, but she really just feels . . . consumed.

“Margaret Atwood takes risks and wins.” —Time

“Throughout her literary career . . . Margaret Atwood has impressed and delighted readers with her wit, lyric virtuosity and imaginative acuity.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“One of the most intelligent and talented writers to set herself the task of deciphering life in the late twentieth century.” —Vogue

“Chock-full of startling images, superbly and classically crafted. . . . Kept me in stitches half the time.” —Saturday Night

“Atwood has the magic of turning the particular and the parochial into the universal.” —The Times (London)