Mitchell, like Eugenides, is Greek, was raised in Detroit, carried a briefcase in college,[4] and traveled to India after his graduation.

Critics have pointed out that both Leonard and Wallace wear a bandana, have long hair, chew tobacco, study philosophy, and struggled with mental illness.

[17] In January/February 2010 issue of Bookmarks, the book received 3.5 out of 5 stars, with the critical summary saying, "But no matter how one reads into the novel, it is an age-old story, well told, about how to live, how to believe, and, not least, how to love".

"[21] However, reviews of the novel were not without criticism; Eleanor Barkhorn, writing for The Atlantic, praised the heroine Madeleine as "smart" and in many other ways realistic, but nonetheless criticized the novel for its lack of "believability" in depicting a modern female character whose "relationships [with almost all other women] are characterized more by spite than affection".

[22] Barkhorn noted that the book is not unique in this manner, making reference to the Bechdel Test and stating that The Marriage Plot was a prime example of the storytelling trend the Test criticizes: "[t]here are countless other Madeleines in modern-day literature and film: smart, self-assured women who have all the trappings of contemporary womanhood except a group of friends to confide in".

[22] Barkhorn also compared the book to the early female authors of the literary genre that Eugenides references in both the novel and its title, opining[22] that writers such as Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen, in depicting close homosocial relationships among women, were more psychologically accurate than Eugenides.

She suggested that Madeleine's lack of such relationships was implausible in context ("If this were the way women really acted with their friends, it would be fine.