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 social commentary but...

There is so much to unpack, yet so little time. The concept was phenomenal but I would say the development from one idea to the next and the final outcome was a pretty underwhelming.

A Horror Story

I've liked other stuff by Eggers, but I think this is his magnum opus to this point in his career. It's not a dystopian story... it's a dystopia's origin story. It takes its main character, and the reader, from a near future that is completely believable, step by reasonable, logical step into a horror story. To me that makes this an incredibly valuable book to have out there in the world - paranoid government states like that of 1984 or obviously horrifying, but I at least have always been able to discount them by saying, 'well, that would never really happen.' I'm not sure I can say that after listening to this book.

I think this is the sort of novel that's perfect for an audiobook, as well - the narrator is great, and he compensates for dialogue that reader-reviews have noted as repetitive and obvious. Reader reviews have also noted that the characters seem one-dimensional, but I didn't get that feeling at all - a good reader brings the characters to life and adds dimensions through subtle reading choices. The symbolism is maybe a little obvious, too, which might have seemed condescending in print but I think in audio format you need them to be obvious enough to pick up on them on first listen, at speed.

All in all, I think this is a great, important book. How well it ages probably depends on what actually happens in the future, though.

Needed a woman's touch.

My only quarrel with the book was it's reader. Not sure what the intention was to have a man read this book but when you have a book so heavily weighted by a female character and her inner thoughts, I think this story would have benefitted from a female voice actor? Plus I didn't like Dion's style of reading. Weird punctuation and his characters were read with a monotone quality and strange pauses. The story itself was an interesting tale of where transparency can head with the help of tech and how much is crossing the line between personal and public knowledge.

Thanks

Disturbing

I do not usually write reviews but was inspired to in this case. This is a really amazing book that everyone should read. The dystopian future described in the book seems very close to our own world, especially in the wake of the discussions following the 2016 election on the effects of social media on democratic discourse. But this is not a pleasant read. The main character is not just unlikable; she is essentially a villain. Her narration makes the book often agonizing as the reader watches a horrible new world based on mob rule, lack of privacy, and superficial relationships slowly emerge. The fact that the book is long makes this even more unpleasant. I have never had a worse time listening to a book that I would describe as amazing, well-written, and truly visionary. I recommend this book but you should probably follow (as I am now doing) with something much lighter and fluffier so you do not get too depressed.

is this where the web is headed?

This story was an aspirational account of where a leading tech company wants to take the world.....to a place of total transparency. Great performance by the narration team.

Don't Miss

Loved it from start to finish!
Could not stop listening to this book!
Frightening similarities to today's world!

1984 for an information era.

An outstanding look at the conflict between privacy and social networking. An interesting Orwellian look at something that is already here

What happened to the climax?

What about Dion Graham’s performance did you like?

I especially enjoyed how the narrator sounded like the recorded messages that the character was listening to. "Maaay", "Maaay" and the enthusiasm in "one hundred" over and over.

Any additional comments?

Good story with lots of potential but it needs some action.
It feels like the main character just goes on with her daily chores and once in a while there's a little sex.
I surmise that May and Ann get so totally freaked out about things that happen to them, because they are afraid of losing their jobs.
Yes, it is a scary thought. (1984)

Well... that was that.

I had been given this book in paperback about a year ago. Because it was in print, I didn't get around to reading it. However, as I heard more people discuss it and then the movie being made, I opted to start it here on audible.

First, the narration. If your an Eminem fan, you may be familiar with the song titled Guilty Conscience. There's a narrator in that song that sounds just like this guy. He reads well. I do not prefer the generic voice he uses for the men. They all sound like mouth breathing idiots. Other than that, he's good. He does a good job of reading in such a way that you feel the anxiety of the character.

The story: Yay... it's okay. Predictable. It's a story that had the potential of being a 21st century 1984, but falls short. It's too glossy. The character of May was highly annoying in her ignorant fawning behavior. Sadly, the author is probably correct in his view of how the masses would lunge for this tech. However, I believe there'd be a considerably larger fight for privacy than the author gives credence.

It's a good book. Not my favorite, but good.

Enjoy.

Awesome!

I haven't finished the audiobook but the story goes well. I'm excited! Will recommend this!