Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve
This thrillingly plausible novel offers a scenario set in the near future which presents a frightening portrayal of life in Britain. It gives a chillingly convincing description of a government intruding in citizens’ lives, a shocking impact of social media, and is made more gripping by a psychopath’s steady progress, who, as a government operative, cleverly manages to dupe his unsuspecting clients.
The government has concluded that marriage is more beneficial to the economy and society as a whole. Demands for housing soar, pressure on the health system increases and overall well being is affected if a person is living alone.
It therefore introduces the Marriage Act. This encourages people to make a ‘Smart Marriage’ by offering incentives, making it almost irresistible. Each couple must have an Audite device in their home which monitors the health of the relationship and arranges for a ‘responder’ to give counselling and advice. It monitors 10 mins of conversation every day and alerts if the couple is on level 1,2,or 3 of need. John Marrs has created a detailed system that guides any couple at risk through rocky episodes. In doing so, he has made the world of future Britain horribly real.
Chapters move between four different pairs.
Anthony is work obsessed. Married to Jada, they lead lonely cohabiting lives.
Noah and Luca are informed of the precarious state of their marriage and are subjected to a responder living in their flat and, ever watchful, offers suggestions as well as criticisms.
Roxi lives for social media, and longs to be a wildly successful influencer. Her husband Owen is longing for a better arrangement as he languishes in a lonely marriage.
Corinne is an activist, married to Mitchell. She rails against the concept of the Marriage Act, and is a supporter of the rising Freedom for All party.
There is also Arthur, recently widowed and mourning his wife’s absence. He is a tragic figure and an unfeeling policy suggests ‘A Perfect Companion’ should take her place.
This novel is outstanding for many reasons. It is exciting in the way the author combines the elements of a thriller with an important examination of current issues, particularly the dominance of online activities by young women.
Many of us have devices such as Google Home which, while being conveniently useful, may be a version of an electronic spy, as this book shows us.
AI is becoming an looming menace to many as the suicide of a famous influencer, Jem Jones, shows, later in the novel. It is the dilemma of establishing reality that is so disturbing, as computer generation develops at incredible speed.
John Marrs steers his narrative with consummate ease. He handles the different characters so that a reader follows their progress and reaction to The Act without any confusion.
Writing is excellent and his future Britain is worthy of comparison with the wonderfully prescient George Orwell. The roots of this not so very different scary world are already firmly gripping Western societies.
At regular intervals, a page is devoted to a bulletin or manifesto. For instance, ‘What Should You Do if You Suspect a Friend’s Marriage is in Trouble?’ In this future world, freedom is eroded, interference is key.
By tracking the main characters , it becomes obvious that the scheme is far from perfect. Ultimately it is a brilliant social experiment in the guise of a thriller. It is both conversation and thought provoking. John Marrs has a well established reputation for superb thriller writing. The Marriage Act cements this.
The Marriage Act
[2023]
by John Marrs
Pan Macmillan
ISBN 978 152907 118 4
$34.99; 496pp