The Edible Woman - the book

'The Edible Woman' by Margaret Atwood is set in the 1960's in Canada.

The narrator is a single woman who has a job, boyfriend, and a roommate. After a fight one evening, she accepts a proposal from her boyfriend. As the engagement progresses, she finds herself unable to eat certain types of food. She also finds a new friend, with whom she has an emotional (and eventually, physical) affair. According to the back of the book, as the stress of the engagement 'eats her away', she is unable to eat more types of food.

This would be an interesting book to read as part of a lit class or a book club, because I can't tell whether I'm reading too much into the book or not enough.

First of all, for most of the book, I was convinced the 'new friend' was imaginary. Their relationship was just so strange. I thought it was another manifestation of her unhappiness. She interviews him for a product survey. A while later, he calls the company she works for, asks to be transferred to her extension. He introduces himself as the person she interviewed, and then asks if she has anything that requires ironing. He really needs to iron. She leaves work early, picks up a few items from home, and goes to his place. And he irons her clothes. Does that not scream 'manifestation of unhappiness with normal life conventions'??

So, aside from my obviously inaccurate reading of the whole 'friend' situation, I had some difficulties with her unhappiness as the engagement progressed. Given that it was the 60's, it was more expected that she would quit her job to take care of her husband and have children. But, to me, it didn't seem as though that was her concern. To me, the whole relationship just seemed wrong. The thing that leads to their engagement is a huge fight, where she storms out of the restaurant, he follows in his car, and he proposes. I'd feel constrained if I were about to marry someone I hardly liked.

Am I reading it too literally? Is there more symbolism than the engagement eating away at her? Maybe I'll recommend this in my next book club to get other people's perspectives!