A Season in Hell

by Marilyn French

The novelist and author of The Women's Room and My Summer with George recalls her battle with cancer, the spiritual journey it entailed, and the emotional healing it brought to her life. Reprint.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Feminism, Illness

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

She attended Hofstra University (then Hofstra College) where she also received a master's degree in English in 1964. She married Robert M. French Jr. in 1950; the couple divorced in 1967. She later attended Harvard University, earning a Ph.D in 1972. Years later she became an instructor at Hofstra University.

In her work, French asserted that women's oppression is an intrinsic part of the male-dominated global culture. Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals (1985) is a historical examination of the effects of patriarchy on the world.

French's 1977 novel, The Women's Room, follows the lives of Mira and her friends in 1950s and 1960s America, including Val, a militant radical feminist. The novel portrays the details of the lives of women at this time and also the feminist movement of this era in the United States. At one point in the book the character Val says "all men are rapists". This quote has often been incorrectly attributed to Marilyn French herself. French's first book was a thesis on James Joyce.

French was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 1992. This experience was the basis for her book A Season in Hell: A Memoir (1998).

She was also mentioned in the 1982 ABBA song, "The Day Before You Came". The lyrics that mentioned French were: "I must have read a while, the latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style".

French died from heart failure at age 79 on May 2, 2009 in Manhattan, New York City. She is survived by her son Robert and daughter Jamie.

Reviews

[Edith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author of "The Women's Room" writes about her ordeal with esophageal cancer at age 61. I read The Women's Room way back in the 70's and recall it as an interesting book, although I couldn't tell you anything about the storyline now. Guess I should do a reread one of these days! It's that memory thing...but then, good books can stand to be reread and twice-enjoyed.

[Kiessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because I am a fan of French's thought-provoking fiction. I went in knowing that she can sometimes err on the side of black-and-white thinking, and can even come across as whiny. For this book, written about her battle with cancer, her pen poured cynicism, judgment, and misery onto every page. Warranted or not, there was little to connect with here. Dreary indeed.

[cat news · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was amazed by the last paragraph:

"I cannot say I am happy I was sick, but I am happy that sickness, if it had to happen, brought me to where I am now. It is a better place than I have been before. I am grateful to have been allowed to live long enough to experience it. "

[Ora Cummings]

If I ever need anything to convince me not to opt for conventional cancer treatment, it's this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marilyn French is a proper writer, by this I mean her grammar, vocabulary and style are vastly superior to many books I have read recently. From that point only, it is worth 5 stars. Marilyn French is also a very opiniated woman, and faced with a very painful cancer and cancer treatment, and certain death at some point, she certainly does not hold back. For some reasons, not on purpose, I have read 3 consecutive books on cancer, the first one was "cancer patients have a wicked sense of humor", the second "cancer can be an enlightening experience", and this one, the third book "cancer sucks big time, doctors don't have a clue and the treatment hurts like crazy".

[Sandra Smit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik vond het heel interessant. Het is een verslag van haar leven tijdens en na haar kanker en zodanig geschreven dat ik er altijd af en toe aan terug zal denken en sommige van haar ervaringen zal citeren in gesprekken met anderen die met bedreigende ziekten te maken hebben.
Hoewel het juist krachtig is dat zij haar mening over de haar behandeld-hebbende artsen (in eigen ogen half-goden) geeft en zelfs niet schuwt ze bij naam en toenaam te noemen, vind ik het noemen van al haar vrienden die haar opzoeken iets té.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

French's tale of surviving esophagus cancer, the side affects, the after affects and the medical profession. Tough read. But glad it's out there for any who might want to know what they might face when dealing with cancer and the people involved.

[Tracy]

Was not that impressed by this book and found it hard work.

[Traceylee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why

I would recommend this book to people who have had a hard time through recovery from cancer. This woman had several other trouble through the cancer

[Bread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es ist interessant und fast komplett ungefiltert, Marilyn French ist für mich bekannt als jemand, die schwermütige Literatur herausbringt und natürlich ist ein Buch über den eigenen Kampf mit Krebs nicht leicht zu verdauen. Ich fand es öfters schlicht angsteinflößend

[Karen McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found some of the medical a tough slog but necessary for the telling of the memoir.
I loved the last third of the book, and her insights on life are incredible. I was very moved by it.

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant journey of horrendous cancer treatment, far worse than cancer!