This book threw me for a loop. I spent most of it searching for meaning. Okay, obviously it's about a woman's body physically rejecting the societal conventions that she's conforming to; obviously it's rich with small, poignant observations and many literary devices. But what does it add up to?
I couldn't figure it out, because everyone in this book is miserable. Those who reject marriage and family are miserable, those who try to attain it are miserable, those who accept it reluctantly are miserable, those who accept it enthusiastically are miserable. So I couldn't determine exactly what Atwood was trying to say.
But, then. The ending.
(view spoiler)
So, I laughed. The Edible Woman is intentionally muddled; we look for a clear message where there is none. This was Atwood's method from the start. To give us the shape of a woman, which we will forget is just a cake. It's just a story.