The Circle

Author: Dave Eggers

Rating: 1/5

Pages: 493

Year Published: 2013

Synopsis (From Goodreads): “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.”

A futuristic dystopian book about a world where “big brother” is always watching. It has resemblance with 1984. The book follows Mae as she starts a new job at one of the most famous companies, called the Circle where her friend Annie works. Mae is warmly welcomed by the Circle community, but soon she starts to lose herself in her workplace, which starts to feel less and less like a job and more like a cult. The Circle has total control over everything, they see everything and according to them: Secret are Lies.

I read this book for school, and thus had to finish it, but if I would have read it during my free time I would probably have stopped 100 pages in. The writing isn’t compelling, and the characters are two dimensional which makes the reading boring. Even though the plot and idea of the story is great since it brings up social problems such as excessive surveillance, right to privacy and social media. Even though the writing is poor, I still recommend it because of the message is tries to spread, especially in today’s time and age where social media and electronics become a bigger and bigger part of our lives. Mae is the main character, and the story is told out of her perspective from a first person point of view. The build up is slow to increase the story’s validity, however due to the poorly created characters the story falls flat.

A futuristic dystopian book about a world were “big brother” is always watching. It has resemblance with 1984. The book follows Mae as she starts a new job at one of the most famous companies, called the Circle where her friend Annie works. Mae is warmly welcomed by the Circle community, but soon she starts to lose herself in her workplace, which starts to feel less and less like a job and more like a cult. The Circle has total control over everything, they see everything and according to them: Secret are Lies. n today’s time and age where social media and electronics become a bigger and bigger part of our lives. Mae is the main character, and the story is told out of her perspective from a first person point of view. The build up is slow to increase the story’s validity, however due to the poorly created characters the story falls flat. at.

I would recommend this book for people who feel conflicted about the increase use of social media in today’s society, because it makes one slow down and think about how one uses the different devices and what information you share about yourself with others.