The Circle
By Dave Eggers
- Release Date: 2013-10-08
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A bestselling dystopian novel that tackles surveillance, privacy and the frightening intrusions of technology in our lives—a “compulsively readable parable for the 21st century” (Vanity Fair).
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.
As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO.
Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public.
What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.
Reviews
We e
2By waw was weI awereGreat book
5By Ygeejayeverything that happened seem very plausible.Mediocre
3By JSDeLonIt was fine. The book is based on a series of increasingly unbelievable premises about how people would act and react to interconnectivity that I just couldn’t get past. People would not overwhelmingly line up to be part of The Circle. Also, the protagonist isn’t terribly compelling.Kept reading but shouldn't have
2By teeheebabeHonestly the concept of this book is drew me in but the main character is why I kept reading. The whole time I wanted the main character to prove herself a rebel but instead she was a pawn and frustratingly so. The ending is infuriating not to mention the seemingly random partners she has. There is little conversation between them before she ends up in promiscuous situations with them. Another male author seemingly unaware of how romance or even foreplay works. It's dangerous to think that human interaction works like this. I will say that I definitely will be thinking about this book a lot and what the overall message was very relatable to social media and technology now. Overall, wouldn't recommend the frustration and weird random relationships.Fun dystopian Silicon Valley adventure.
4By filmguyryanAs a Silicon Valley employee at one of the major tech companies that this novel was clearly based on, this fantastical premise hits pretty close to home... but in a fun way. Technology ethics in our society are even more relevant today than when this book was published. The story gets a bit bogged down in the procedural details at times, but quickly redirects to fast paced scenes that unravel quickly.Don’t read
1By kristinasunflowerHorrible writing, don’t waste your time.Just Awful Writing
1By BennettwritesConcept: interesting. The rest of it? Couldn't even finish it. Wouldn't mind a refund. The characters are sophomoric, uninteresting. The movie didn't last long in my neck of the woods and I'm not surprised. Don't waste your money on this one. A real snore.Thought provoking and scary.
5By H3@th312This all seemed as if it could actually happen in the future. I now worry for my nonexistent grandkids.Anticlimactic
1By Odie092It's a frustrating read because the core storyline has such potential. Delving into how technology has evolved and posing the question of "is technology going too far" is a promising theme, however this book hardly scratches the surface. Instead, the storyline focuses on 1 dimensional characters and their experiences. It's a huge let down.It just ended...
2By Lost boardsGreat concept. The sexual scenes are unnecessary and no intelligent person could be as shallow or ignorant as Mae was. I hope the movie brings the book to completion because it just ended with no solution. I mean seriously, I searched for more pages or a sequel with no avail.Thought provoking idea adequately rendered
3By cvonlineI found the concept thought provoking. It was adequately rendered.Fascinating, But Not Essential
4By DigitalElThe world-building is captivating, but this book drags on and ultimately peters out.Great book
5By Big Dan Big DIt's scary to see that this could be our lives one day. The way social media can take over our lives. Great book! I look forward to the movie as well!!Awesome? Frown.
3By PHXDanaThis was a challenging read for me. The binary nature of the question about Mae in Demoxie sums up my feelings about this book: when awesome becomes a yes or no question, everything not awesome becomes horrible. This was a thought provoking book for me. The increasing integration of technology into our lives is often portrayed as an intrusion. The need for technology to achieve a transcendent completion is something often described in fiction. And the binary nature of the book's questions - if it's not awesome, it's terrible - makes it easy to not think too hard. That's why I rated three stars. The questions are complex, and the answers are too pat. I think it's worth reading, and I will likely read again in a few months. Some of the hardest sections to read are Mae's HR interviews. They are remarkably well written, the feeling of ants crawling around your head as the circular logic of the circle takes hold is really compelling. The least appealing sections are the anti-capitalist message (really, a shark is a bit on the nose) and the premature nature of Francis. C'mon.1984?
3By gelrodA few other commenters compared this book to a modern 1984. I agree. When I first saw "Sharing is Caring" I was reminded of some of the phrases in Orwell's book. And, like others I was quite disappointed in the ending. It was as if several pages were missing. I expected a sequel, but alas, haven't seen one (is there a sequel?). So, decent, but disappointing.The circle is upon us?
4By Zack PierceThe circle gives great insight on what the startling advance of technology can bring. How far down the rabbit hole of technology will we go. Well, if you want to know then you should check out the circle. The circle resembles a company like Facebook and Google combined and then added a whole bunch of steroids to that concoction. The book focuses on Mae and her journey while being in the circle. The twist and turns of this book are entertaining and insightful and it makes me feel paranoid on this roller coaster ride into our possible future.You won't look at social media the same
5By jameyfrankThis story instills a sense of personal paranoia with its page turner writing style, and the disturbing transformation of a young employee who "drank the koolaid." Too much if it has already come to pass, and it calls into question our right to privacy, and the extent to which we have relinquished it. A very entertaining read.poorly predictable
2By okshortyI read this for a book club group. It had potential in the beginning, but the storyline became disappointedly predictable when plot twisters could have added more depth. There were mind numbing "filler" pages, so I skimmed through 25% of the book. I felt no connection to the main character nor the other ones. A very flat storyline.Circle by Dave Eggers
1By Aleksandrovych89Boring times a million. Girl I went out with recommended. "Oh I just finished Circle, tata-tata, very interesting prospective". So much for reading books to have a common ground with people, whose opinion you don't hold in the highest esteem.
