From the back of the book:
"Marian is determindly ordinary, waiting to get married. She likes her work, her broody flat-mate and her sober fiancé Peter. All goes well at first, but Marian has reckoned without an inner self that calmly sabotages her careful plans, stable routine - her digestion. Marriage à la mode, Marian discovers, is something is literally can't stomach."

16-07-03
I really liked this book. M Atwood has written a bit of a disclaimer in the front explaining this was her first novel and that it was written in the 1960s, just as Women's Lib was becoming more vocal, so the attitudes are different to those we hold now. But this doesn't take away from the story is just gives it an old-fashioned feel and Marian's struggle with feeling herself submerged by her fiancé is recognisable. It's not quite as subtle as some of her later work, she changes the perspective from first person to third person as Marian's personaility begins to disintegrate but points out why in part three.

What I like about this though is that in contrast with some of her other books, Marian is a person I like. She is quirky and independent and I understand her. In fact I like all the characters and I think they are well drawn. The story moves along at a good pace and I care about what happens to her. I still prefer her speculative fiction, but this one was just up my street.

22-07-03:
Sent to allbookedup - I hope you enjoy it.

Received this book today in the mail, from Starry-starry, a lovely fellow bookcrosser in the UK! Thanks!

Currently reading... So far I like it and I am thinking of sending it out as a bookring. There are several bookcrossers who have >the edible woman< on their wish lists!

This is the list of the bookring participants, not in final order yet!!!

1. Psychjo- UK
2. Zarylia- Poland
3. dutch-flybaby - netherlands
4. amaradevinmom- USA/Germany
5. Sherria - USA
6. Indymomto2- USA
7. WritinReader - USA
8. clawdette - USA
9. Saoirse - USA

I sent the book off today, March 25th, to Psychjo by surface mail.

Thank you Allbookedup! This was waiting for me after a week's holiday in Devon. I'm just about to finish another book and when I am done this will be the next one I start - I'm about to go to Singapore for a conference so it will travel with me. I'm a fan of Attwood, but not read this one yet, so I know that it will be a good read for the flight....

Another thoughroughly enjoyable Margaret Attwood book. I did at times find myself thinking "just get out of the relationship as its so obviously wrong!" but kept reminding myself of the time it was written, but then also how many people today still seem to be in relationships that aren't right - the need to be with someone, or needing to fit in with the socially pressured world of being with a partner/get married....

I particularly enjoyed the widening focus that she had on what was in food and where it had come from - very scary stuff in terms of how mental illness can gradually take hold.

Will send on as soon as I can.....

Finally got this to the post office today, sorry for the delay - so it's now on the way to Zarylia in Poland.

Warsaw/Poland - Just got this in the mail today. Thanks psychjo!

Warsaw/Poland - Good book...it took me awhile to get into it, I think I really began to like Marian during the bed incident, don't know why, before she had just seemed so "normal"... One thing about this book really shook me up though, I didn't realize until half way through the book (when she mentioned using a typewriter) that it was written in the 60's! This really surprised me since all along I had been assuming it was a relatively recent book, and it kind of scared me that I could mistake the 60's for today. Maybe we haven't changed as much as we think...

Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. The characters are all wonderfully quirky and distinct. Ainsley, the lady downstairs, Duncan, the office virgins, etc... even Peter who(whom?) I despised; he is still a great character. I think I enjoyed Duncan's character the most, sometimes he is hilarious, sometimes I just wanted to shake him into reality, and then there were the times when he practically read her mind - "Pumpkin seeds." ;-)

Thanks everyone for passing this along to me! I'll be sending it off to dutch-flybaby soon.

Warsaw/Poland - Sent off to dutch-flybaby today. Enjoy!

Found this book in my mailbox today with beautiful Polan stamps and a nice note from Zarylia. Thanks! I'll be adding a scan to this journal entry.
I will start reading this book asap when I finish my other bookringbooks. It may even go with me on the holiday my husband and I are going to book tonight (to Turkey or Tunesia), who knows ;-)

I don't know if it's my mood or just the book but I could not get 'into' the story and found the book boring. I decided to not spend any more valuable readingtime on this book and stopped reading after about 100 pages.
I already have the address of amaradevinmom and will mail this book before I go on holiday to Turkey.

Released on Friday, June 18, 2004 at Main postoffice in Ede, Gelderland Controlled Releases.

Will mail this book with a postcard at the postoffice today. Happy reading!

received today. It will be next after I finish the book I am reading right now

as much as I tried I could not make myself read this book. I just didn't get into it at all. It will be going out on monday.

This showed up in today's mail. I'm looking forward to reading it. Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors. I have a couple of other bookrings/rays ahead of it, but I should get to it soon.

Thanks for sharing this book allbookedup!

I couldn't resist an Atwood novel just sitting there, so I ended up bumping this one ahead of the other bookring I had waiting. I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this book, though it was quite different from her more recent works.

I found myself getting frustrated with some of the characters, especially Marian, and her inability to take control of her life, but then I would remember all the times that I've let life sweep me along even though I knew that it wasn't necessarily the best choice.

The characters were full of real human frailties, which I always appreciate, and like all of Atwood's writing, they were very vividly written. I never really got a good sense of the time that was passing, and often couldn't figure out if something was happening the next day or the next week or the next month even. But, the plot just sucked me along with it, and it was an enjoyable ride.

Thanks for sharing this one allbookedup! I'll send it on to indymomto2 when I get an address.

Can't seem to stay interested in this and too many others in TBR Sending this on

Got this today will read asap.

Released on Tuesday, October 26, 2004 at about 10:00:00 AM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at mailing to another Bookcrosser in Florence, Kentucky USA.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending this on to Clawdette

Could be just bad timing for attempting to read this but I couldn't get into the book. Surprised me because this looks so good and was one I really wanted to read. Might be one I'll have to try again at some later time. Thank you for sharing.