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Although The Circle by Dave Eggers initially appears utopian, readers will notice a subtle dystopian aftertaste once they complete the novel. The anti-utopian novel begins by introducing the protagonist, Mae Holland, who feels unfulfilled in her current occupation. This feeling of untapped potential spurs her to obtain a job at an Apple-esque company known as the Circle. The Circle has four mottos “ALL THAT HAPPENS MUST BE KNOWN,” “SHARING IS CARING,” “PRIVACY IS THEFT,” and “SECRETS ARE LIES.” These slogans reflect the Circle’s invasive beliefs when it comes to ideas such as privacy and secrecy. Later on and throughout the novel a mysterious figure, known as Kalden, begins to lurk around Mae, voicing his concerns regarding the Circle’s boundaries, or lack thereof. One significant theme throughout The Circle is transparency. Transparency is seen both physically and metaphorically. Many of the offices and buildings on campus are made completely out of glass, stressing the importance of transparency. There’s also a system the Circle adopts with its employees called “going transparent.” When Mae’s natural impulses clash with the Circle’s expectations of her, the Circle sends fellow Circlers for an intervention where they encourage her to engage the Circle community through social media. Eggers critiques how society has centralized social media to the point of obsession. Alistair Knight exemplifies this obsession when he feels offended when Mae doesn’t reply to his Portugal brunch invitation. Another example of this obsession is when Annie goes a little haywire because Maes doesn’t immediately respond to her messages. Although transparency is central to the Circle, Mae takes pleasure in separating herself from the Circle's buzz by kayaking and appreciating the surrounding nature. In addition to transparency and social media, Eggers critiques the notion of perfectibility. The Circle strives for perfection and the perfectibility of everything. Humans, technology, government, etc. are all perfectible in the Circle's mind, but in gaining perfection the society forfeits its freedom and privacy. Eggers asks the question: How much are people willing to give up in exchange for security? In many technological aspects of the novel a moral/ethical dilemma is broken or overlooked. SeeYou was proposed to the Circle as a technology that would immediately spot out any and all convicted criminals. Although this technology seems beneficial, the pitch takes a darker turn when someone suggests chipping the criminals. I can see how this technology can be helpful, but I can also see how quickly it could be weaponized. Also the act of chipping humans feels a bit dehumanizing. Lastly, I think it is important to mention that, similar to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the Circle’s altruistic intentions unintentionally morph into a kind of omniscient totalitarian authority. Despite the occasional slow pacing plot, I truly enjoyed this novel. It made me reflect on how I use my own social media. Sometimes I have even caught myself falling into unhealthy miniature psychotic mental rampages regarding comments and likes on my Instagram and Facebook. Overall, I believe Eggers is trying to tell his readers to be wary of “perfection,” form meaningful relationships over superficial ones, engage directly through human to human interactions, and live a cognizant life to avoid mob mentality.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
I saw the commercial for the movie and wanted to read the book first. A great read. Very interesting like an updated 1984!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
thank you
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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