Love, Cults, and the Federal Criminal Court: The Marriage Pact (2017)
By Helena Carvalho
This review contains minor spoilers
In a way, marriage is in itself a pact. Michelle Richmond takes this idea one step further to devise a weirdly realistic cult in her novel, The Marriage Pact (2017), aimed at enforcing, through some rather unorthodox methods, what is deemed to be a good marriage. Giving your spouse one thoughtful gift a month, a romantic escapade every trimester, always answering the phone when the spouse calls—all seem desirable in a loving relationship. The Marriage Pact leader thought so too and devised a legal system inspired by the English Common Law that determines not only what the rules to a successful marriage are, but also the punishment of breaking said rules. And harsh punishment it is— from surveillance bracelets to electric shocks and solitary confinement.
Alice and Jack, a recently married couple, receive a mysterious wedding gift by an even more mysterious Irish singer that introduces them to The Marriage Pact. And once they are inside the Pact, there is no getting out. The plot is simple enough: the couple finds itself more and more immersed in The Pact while struggling to both fulfill the expectations set out by the Manual, but unable to stop questioning the methods used by the organization.
The book is interesting not so much for this main suspenseful thriller narrative, but for the light it sheds on what is the modern relationship. For Jack, the narrator, is a therapist deeply in love with his spouse, Alice, but at the same time, is not fully sure of who she is or what she thinks. To Jack, Alice is a mystery. A once-famous alternative rock star-turned-successful-lawyer, Alice is a contradictory character. As a couple, they share a comfortable routine and celebrate each other’s victories. But from Jack’s narrative, it is clear he is often unsure of how his wife thinks or feels. This divide, between each character’s individuality and desire to keep secrets, is somehow not opposed to their desire to make each other happy. It speaks volumes of what modern relationships can be—that thin, precarious balance between the “me” and the “us.”
Jack’s own insecurity shines through the book. The novel has Jack as the first person narrator and his point of view and inner dialogues guide the story. Personally, I enjoyed diving into his head: all his incongruences make him feel real. Is he relatable? And is she relatable? Not really, they are both too vivid and flawed to spark that sense of empathy in the reader. Take Jack, for instance: despite being a psychologist with a deep care for his patients, he is also strangely detached from their problems and from his own troubles and doubts – no emotional confrontations, only quiet reflection and a lot of words left unsaid. He is the same about his wife: he idolizes her but seems to make a very small effort to understand and communicate with her. It is as if he is fulfilling a role, working hard to act as the perfect husband—bringing her dinner to work, never complaining about her demanding work schedules, agreeing to the Pact—but failing to connect at a deeper, emotional level.
The book also has several situations that may lead the most skeptical readers to think, “No way, that is just plain crazy.” Why would a lawyer sign a contract without reading it? Jack clearly disagrees with the Pact and Alice seems more intent on it, perhaps due to her overachieving personality. And yet they drift along, without a clear sense of purpose and not enough rebellion. The implausibility of this book was not much of a problem to me, as I am quite the forgiving reader and do not wish books to be a perfect reflection of reality.
Overall, The Marriage Pact is a nice way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. It is a compelling read: addictive and easy to read in a single setting, perhaps due to its clear, visual, and fast-paced prose. The ending does feel rushed and the plot is a bit predictable. However, the depth and complexity of the relationship between the main characters is thought-provoking and make up for some of the book’s shortcomings. It works as a reflection on individual agency and on the limits of true communion between two individuals.
Helena Carvalho decided to become a professional reader since the day she realized the ratio between writers and readers is quickly slipping and is unlikely to recover its former glory. She is currently based in Lisbon, Portugal, but has also lived in the United Kingdom and Sweden. She works at an energy company during the day to support her passion for acquiring more titles than what she can read in a lifetime.
