The Circle, an anti-utopia novel, by Dave Eggers stresses the dangers associated with the advancement of technology. It’s similar to the novel 1984 with many of its slogans and ideas associated with the future of technology. The Circle follows Mae Holland, a 24 year old woman, who has begun working at a world renowned technology company known as The Circle. The Circle has offices all over the globe and hires hundreds of inventive minds every week. Quickly, it’s progressing into a tech savvy world of its own that is taking over the real world. Working at The Circle is quite an achievement, and Mae’s parents are proud of her. They’re even more proud of her friend Annie who got Mae this job. Annie becomes Mae’s mentor in The Circle and helps her. However, their friendship becomes distant because of Mae’s increasing popularity. The utopia at The Circle seems flawed in many aspects, and many reviewers claim that the modern world turning into The Circle is a ridiculous notion. However, is it actually as ridiculous as it sounds?
Many technological advances that weren’t known to be possible are possible today. The technological advances of phones, social media, television, etc. were not thought to be possible. So why is it so ridiculous to assume that there could be a world controlled by technology? Technology already controls some aspect of our day, whether it’s for school, work, or entertainment. Technology has a hold on us.
When Mae tries to fit into the Circle, she’s fascinated by the advancements. However, in the beginning she gets in trouble for not attending social events in The Circle and her lack of online presence on social media. This causes quite the distress in the office. But slowly she begins to go deeper into technology as she’s pressured into things at The Circle. She begins to take advantage of the latest gadgets, the parties, the new “beneficial” innovative ideas, medical care, a place to stay, etc. A character named Kalden appears to help Mae. However, Will he be able to save her? This is the question that hangs with the reader throughout the book.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. The Circle is fast paced which makes it an enjoyable read, I read this book in three days because it was so interesting. There were many cliffhangers that made me want to continue my reading. I liked how it was more modern than 1984 which made it easier to follow along for teenagers like myself. It also connected to me more because of how similar the main character was to me. Mae became influenced by the people around her and took part in something that would affect the whole world. As teenagers, we also tend to give into peer pressure, and it’s hard to come out of it. Whether its drugs, social media, clothes, etc. We care about what other people think of us, so we give into peer pressure. Many reviewers call Mae dumb for making these choices, but she’s only 24. Brains take 25 years to develop. I think of her as a teenager like myself, and many teenagers make unwise decisions. Many of her actions portrayed in The Circle can be interpreted as childish. And sometimes it’s hard to choose a path that others chose do not take, even for adults. In this sense, I think the novel reaches out to teenagers more than adults.
Spoilers Below: Proceed with Caution
Technology causes Mae to become paranoid at first with cameras watching her and people seeing her. She was mad when she found out that nothing could be deleted. But later she quit trying and gave into the technology. This is what I fear. Right now, many of us are paranoid by the cameras on our laptops and phones and we try to cover them with things like sticky notes. But what if we just stop caring? As the world progresses, people are becoming more comfortable with revealing their bodies in public and on social media. And in The Circle when Francis records Mae in a sexual act and later Mae records her parents, one of the most important privacy of one’s self is invaded. This is something that I can see happening in the future.
As I read this book, I felt helpless. I wanted something to save Mae, but she only became more hypnotized with the technology. Towards the end, I kept waiting for Kalden to show up to save Mae. As Mae started to forget about Kalden, slowly the book did too. BIG SPOILER: Kalden didn’t save Mae. The ending was something I didn’t expect, however, and I was angry about it. But reflecting on the ending, it makes sense as to why Egger did it. Realistically, there are no happy endings in life, and this ending is supposed to reflect the future with chaos. However, I still like to imagine a place that Mae and Kalden created by destroying The Circle. I felt like The Circle is focused closely to this generation, especially since it was written in 2013. And The Circle should be a book that everyone puts on their list. I felt a special connection to it because the similarities were so scary to the modern world.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Frequently bought together
This item: The Circle
$12.74
In Stock
+
+
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Great Book/Service but Missing Pages
Great book and great delivery of product but book is missing pages 149 to 180...
