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)

Great build-up to a very disappointing ending

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would give the book a proper ending. I thought the author built up an amazing story just to throw it away at the end.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I was unconvinced of Mae's character and her morals. I would have liked if the author could have added more in this regard.

Interesting critique of tech. Story falls short

- The narrator was a tad annoying to me personally
- Interesting reflection of current and future developments in the tech world
- great use of an unreliable narrator
- entertaining, but don't expect this to be a thrilling mystery - which is more what I expected

The ending

Don't expect to be satisfied :( I fully expected a resolution, even if it wasn't happy!

Language

Story was OK, slow at times and it seemed sometimes they purposefully dragged stuff out by giving over exaggerated details on it significant part of the story. The language in the book was shocking.
It was over-the-top.

Strange voices

Pretty good book. However, the female characters sounded ditzy when they werent supposed to be portrayed that way.

half-baked

good start, great ideas, but not the best quality writing. Somewhere in the middle writer start loosing drive.

Frighteningly believable

The transformation of The Circle from helpful service to tech conglomerate to techno fascism is both predictable and realistic. The inane obsession of the main character with views and likes is eerie and skates the uncanny valley into the world we live in today. It's impossible to ignore the parallels to the real world, and profoundly uncomfortable to contemplate. I'm not sure if I loved the book or hated it, but cannot deny how powerfully it's message resonates.

Appropriate story for today's social media craze!

Good story on the computer trends and craziness of the internet. kind of Gorge Orwell-ish .

The most important dystopian novel of our time..

this novel was very important. we slowly see Mia character being brainwashed by the circle which is essentially a cult. occult where they believe that they are the future and that everything they do is good. they disregard the fact that privacy sometimes necessary for own personal well-being. spoiler alert Mia is still committed today do you have the circle even though it has left her friend Annie and a catatonic state. and her friend Mercer killed himself to avoid being pursued by the other circulars. spoiler alert one of the three wise men warns that the circle will become a tyrannical Force where everything is controlled through them all the information all bank and money transactions. the government is controlled by them by transparent government officials who disappear at the even question or criticize the circle. not everything needs to be known. other dystopian novels use either religious or ideological dystopian archetypes. this one presents one for our modern age and an era where we have almost virtually no privacy.

Like a new age 1984

I really enjoyed this book- it was thematically well done, fascinating, and I couldn’t stop listening. It reminds of 1984, of it had happened within our knowledge of current technology and social media usage. A must read- apocalyptic vibes.