Marilyn French's debut novel, The Women’s Room, emerges from the depths of her own life journey and professional expertise, weaving her personal experiences into a tapestry of fiction. Known for her scholarly work on literary giants like James Joyce and William Shakespeare, French's understanding of the academic world is both profound and intimate. Her protagonist, Mira, reflects this same intellectual milieu, with French drawing parallels from her own academic pursuits at Harvard and her time teaching English at various colleges. The novel's roots also extend into French's personal life, capturing the tumult of raising two children amidst the strains of a challenging divorce.

In The Women’s Room, French crafts her narrative with a clear mission: to dismantle the illusory fairy-tale narrative propagated by media which many women mistakenly embrace about their marital and romantic lives. Through her characters, she lays bare the societal mechanisms underpinning women's oppression, attempting to galvanize a movement toward a more equitable and humane world. Fiction, for French, is the chosen conduit for these transformative ideas, its narrative power resonating deeply with many women who came of age in the mid-twentieth century. These readers find a voice in the novel that echoes their own silent struggles and truths.

Despite its profound political resonance, French's novel garners criticism on literary grounds. Critics point to a lack of structural cohesion, noting the plot's tendency toward repetitive cycles and the occasional disappearance of characters. Moreover, the male figures within the story are often perceived as underdeveloped, serving more as archetypes than as fully realized individuals. The narrative, at times, veers into the didactic, particularly when addressing societal critiques and suggesting alternatives. Nevertheless, the book's impact is undeniable, offering a forceful articulation of widespread female discontent and sparking essential conversations about gender and justice.