Marilyn French

Marilyn French (November 21, 1929 – May 2, 2009) was an American radical feminist author best known for her 1977 novel The Women's Room, a groundbreaking work that explored the lives of women in post-World War II America and their experiences with sexism, marriage, and self-discovery.

French was born in Brooklyn, New York. She earned a BA from Hofstra University in 1951 and a MA from Harvard University's Radcliffe College in 1964, followed by a PhD in 1972. She taught at Hofstra University for several years.

The Women's Room was a massive commercial success, translated into multiple languages, and sparked intense debate about feminism and its impact on society. Despite its popularity, the novel also received criticism for its perceived anti-male bias.

Beyond The Women's Room, French authored numerous other novels, including The Bleeding Heart (1980), Her Mother's Daughter (1987), My Summer With George (1996), and A Season in Hell (1998). She also wrote non-fiction works, most notably Beyond Power: On Women, Men, and Morals (1985), a comprehensive analysis of patriarchal structures and their consequences. Other non-fiction works included literary criticism, focusing on authors like James Joyce.

French's writing often explored themes of female identity, power dynamics, and the limitations placed on women by societal norms. She was a significant voice in second-wave feminism and her work continues to be studied and debated for its contributions to feminist thought and literature.

French died of esophageal cancer in Manhattan, New York, at the age of 79.