The Circle

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2013 Dave Eggers (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A vivid, roaring dissent to the companies that have coaxed us to disgorge every thought and action onto the Web . . . Carries the potential to change how the world views its addicted, compliant thrall to all things digital. If you work in Silicon Valley, or just care about what goes on there, you need to pay attention.” (Dennis K. Berman, The Wall Street Journal)

“The particular charm and power of Eggers’s book . . . could be described as ‘topical’ or ‘timely,’ though those pedestrian words do not nearly capture its imaginative vision . . . Simply a great story, with a fascinating protagonist, sharply drawn supporting characters and an exciting, unpredictable plot . . . As scary as the story’s implications will be to some readers, the reading experience is pure pleasure.” (Hugo Lindgren, The New York Times Magazine)

Good book!

I loved the book. Though compelling, suspenseful. I just wish that the reader was a woman. The main character is a woman and it’s jarring to hear a man read her parts.

An odd combination

It was compelling and stupid at the same time. Narrator sounds like a Shatner parody.

Fantastic Narration!

Great job by Graham on the narration! Don't review anything online, but in the spirit of the story...

Book vs Movie

The movie is so different from the book especially the ending. Both make you think.

keeps you coming back for more

I was so into this book. I would hide in my car so I could have a quiet place to hear what was going to happen next lol. I highly recommended it!

Half romance novel, half nonsense

Warning if listening with kids: There’s more about the main character being “taken from behind” than anything to do with actual technology as mentioned in the description.

Wait, what just happened?

This book had the potential to go somewhere, but it didn't. The story was well written and creative enough that is was captivating, but the ending was abrupt and didn't give the reader a lot to go off. This book had so much potential to have an awesome, cool ending. It had potential to have several more chapters added on. But it fell completely flat. Also the main character was a girl and it was read by a man. Which is odd to me.

An alright one time read

I struggled to finish it,but purely because of the plot, nothing against audible. It's a good warning, similar to 1984, but it dragged on too much for me.

Frankly didn’t like the story

I thought the audio performance was fine but suffered from only a fair storyline. I was disappointed in that I thought this plot could have been so much more of a commentary on current big tech players like Facebook and Google. Instead it became an apocalyptic fable of sorts. I wanted to like it but could not in the end.

very "what if" in a realistic manner

great storyline, interesting characters and character development, some non- realistic human interacion (hence the 4- stars)

I think the movie did a pretty good job, and I think the book is better

I really enjoyed the voice of the performance and his many voices of the characters