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charlote_1347's review against another edition
5.0
This novel terrifies me - it is one of those works of fiction that remains in your mind long after you've finished reading, whether because of its implications, its characters or its plot. In this case, it's the implications. To think of a technological world, completely transparent, where privacy is no longer considered a right, or even an honest desire, and where everyone knows everything about everyone sends shivers down my spine. Why would I want a neighbour to be able to watch me in my home, any time they wish? Why would I want SeeChange cameras installed in my home, transmitting footage twenty four hours a day to whoever wants to watch? Why would I want to deprive myself of the freedom to act how I wish, when I wish, because some stranger might disapprove of my choices? I am not the most avid supporter of technological advancement anyway - I believe in seeing things for yourself, touching flowers, stroking and admiring animals, breathing the fresh sea air or the smell of fresh mown grass. Artificial knowledge and experience, while applicable in some cases, such as those presented in The Circle, seems wanting to me. The impulse to be seen and heard, regardless of the cost to one's independence and privacy, is explored fabulously and without restraint in this novel. It is the first book in a long time that has made me seriously consider the way of the contemporary world, and the paths we have set ourselves on with sites like Facebook, Twitter and countless others. The writing, initially, seemed cliché and limited but this impression was rapidly discarded as the story progressed. The imagery became powerful and poignant, the characters, and their varying viewpoints, kept me hooked and the whole concept demanded active participation and analytical thinking from the reader every time a new concept was presented. Character-wise, I can safely say that I DESPISED Mae Holland. She was barely tolerable at the beginning of the narrative, and by the end I wanted to punch her teeth out. Francis wasn't much better. He was a whiny, slippery worm with a tragic back story that attempted to add a pity element to his character which fell flat. It was Annie, and Mercer, and Mae's parents that I pitied. They each became victims of The Circle, and were each pushed to their individual extremes because of the pressures of constant surveillance. The novel ends with a punch, too: Mae in Annie's hospital room, sat by her comatose friend's side, and her only concern is that Annie is dreaming and is not sharing these dreams. Mae's BEST FRIEND is unconscious from stress, exhaustion and shock, and Mae feels DEPRIVED and DISCRIMINATED AGAINST because she does not have access to her dreams. That concept was enough to have me closing the book in disgust, but only because Mae's character, ironically enough, seemed to have closed her own circle when it comes to selfishness and a desperate scrambling for knowledge. While this is not an easy read, and it grew damn uncomfortable in places, I would recommend it to ANYONE who wants to have a serious think about where our society is heading if we stay on our current path.
chronikle's review against another edition
3.0
I can appreciate what Dave Eggers was trying to achieve with The Circle, I really can. It offers a terrifying insight into what one of our futures might be like, one day, if we give up in the valiant battle for our right to privacy and anonymity. There’s also a fairly accurate depiction of social media addiction and the emptiness, unfulfillment, and envy those addicts can feel when they don’t receive the attention they need. The Circle is trying to warn us about the evils of technology and the harm it can do when we immerse ourselves in it for too long.
Unfortunately, it misses the mark.
The Circle directly links Internet usage and, more prominently, social media usage with cult-like behaviour. It’s not hard to see why, given the prevalence of it in our lives; I would argue there are times when it is a cult-like activity. But The Circle is let down by this heavy-handed viewpoint. Devoid of nuance, Eggers starts his work by clarifying that Internet anonymity (used almost synonymously with trolls) is gone forever, thanks to a program called TruYou that links your accounts, payment options, and personal information to one singular account. It’s frustrating, because The Circle is clearly a warning about protecting your privacy, but there’s no thought given to the people who are very careful about protecting their privacy and personal identity online. As far as The Circle is concerned, everyone was willing to sign that right away for ease of access.
While I don’t think Mae is a particularly well-developed character, I did appreciate the journey her character went on. Plagued by guilt and insecurity at the start of the novel, Mae seeks constant validation, and she receives it in the form of the Circle and its social media. As for how quickly she lets it happen and how ignorant she is to the warning signs around her… well, she’s joined a cult, whether she knows it or not. I did think it was interesting how her character had done a complete 180 from the start, and the story reinforced that by mirroring her previous actions with her post-indoctrination actions.
To be fair to Eggers, I actually read the book in one sitting and I was hooked, eager to know how it ended. (I absolutely adored the ending, by the way—I wasn’t expecting it to have the guts to go where it did, but it did!) But I feel like the book could have been improved greatly by allowing for more nuance re: privacy and Internet application. It felt at times like it was trying to prove how wrong young people were for using the Internet as a source of multiculturalism, innovation, learning, and communication, that whatever good applications the Internet could be used for, the negatives far outweighed the positives.
Also, as everyone else has pointed out, there is the most obvious and poor attempt at maintaining a character’s secret identity. I also thought that plotline was horribly handled, up until the very end of it.
That said, I guessed I enjoyed reading this! There are huge problems with it—not least being the problematic treatment of women—but it had just enough to keep me going through the tedious and unbelievable parts. Your mileage may very on that.
Unfortunately, it misses the mark.
The Circle directly links Internet usage and, more prominently, social media usage with cult-like behaviour. It’s not hard to see why, given the prevalence of it in our lives; I would argue there are times when it is a cult-like activity. But The Circle is let down by this heavy-handed viewpoint. Devoid of nuance, Eggers starts his work by clarifying that Internet anonymity (used almost synonymously with trolls) is gone forever, thanks to a program called TruYou that links your accounts, payment options, and personal information to one singular account. It’s frustrating, because The Circle is clearly a warning about protecting your privacy, but there’s no thought given to the people who are very careful about protecting their privacy and personal identity online. As far as The Circle is concerned, everyone was willing to sign that right away for ease of access.
While I don’t think Mae is a particularly well-developed character, I did appreciate the journey her character went on. Plagued by guilt and insecurity at the start of the novel, Mae seeks constant validation, and she receives it in the form of the Circle and its social media. As for how quickly she lets it happen and how ignorant she is to the warning signs around her… well, she’s joined a cult, whether she knows it or not. I did think it was interesting how her character had done a complete 180 from the start, and the story reinforced that by mirroring her previous actions with her post-indoctrination actions.
To be fair to Eggers, I actually read the book in one sitting and I was hooked, eager to know how it ended. (I absolutely adored the ending, by the way—I wasn’t expecting it to have the guts to go where it did, but it did!) But I feel like the book could have been improved greatly by allowing for more nuance re: privacy and Internet application. It felt at times like it was trying to prove how wrong young people were for using the Internet as a source of multiculturalism, innovation, learning, and communication, that whatever good applications the Internet could be used for, the negatives far outweighed the positives.
Also, as everyone else has pointed out, there is the most obvious and poor attempt at maintaining a character’s secret identity. I also thought that plotline was horribly handled, up until the very end of it.
That said, I guessed I enjoyed reading this! There are huge problems with it—not least being the problematic treatment of women—but it had just enough to keep me going through the tedious and unbelievable parts. Your mileage may very on that.
riroreads's review against another edition
1.0
This book is a piece of garbage (and I'm starting to think Dave Eggers is too). I didn't finish it, I got to about page 300, came and read loads of reviews and spoilers, and skimmed the last 200 pages to confirm that I wasn't missing out.
His depiction of a female character is so clearly written by a privileged white dude. I get that she is supposed to be infuriatingly bland, but there is a difference between well-written shitty characters and 'I-think-I-can-write-this-because-I'm-a-white-man-that-can-do-anything' characters.
That and the story never gets better, there is no climax or satisfying outcome. Again, I get that is the point, but take a lesson from Gillian Flynn: all of the characters were infuriating, the story was infuriating, and the outcome was not that picture perfect American dream, but she wrote it in a satisfying way that brings closure, not in a lazy 'she gave up' way that this story does.
His depiction of a female character is so clearly written by a privileged white dude. I get that she is supposed to be infuriatingly bland, but there is a difference between well-written shitty characters and 'I-think-I-can-write-this-because-I'm-a-white-man-that-can-do-anything' characters.
That and the story never gets better, there is no climax or satisfying outcome. Again, I get that is the point, but take a lesson from Gillian Flynn: all of the characters were infuriating, the story was infuriating, and the outcome was not that picture perfect American dream, but she wrote it in a satisfying way that brings closure, not in a lazy 'she gave up' way that this story does.
kkaderabek's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhat frightening, and made me want to stop using all social media. The extremes of technology can be terrifying, especially when placed under the guise of being good for everyone.
kezharri's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved this book! It has an amazing concept that is executed well from the viewpoint of the main character Mae. The concept is executed in a subtle yet intriguing manner that draws you in alongside Mae before realising too late that things feel a little bit off.
Would love to have a book written from the viewpoints of other characters as there is so much more I want to know.
Would love to have a book written from the viewpoints of other characters as there is so much more I want to know.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Kidnapping, Stalking, and Car accident
sarahjm6's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this book is definitely intriguing and hits close to what’s going on in today’s ever-technological world. But as the book progressed I kept feeling like nothing was actually happening. I wanted to see more conflict between people who resisted the Circle and those who wholeheartedly believed in it. This lack of conflict made the ending of this book fall flat for me.
fabydemar's review against another edition
5.0
La cosa interessante è che mentre sto scrivendo questa review è arrivato il tweet di Emma Watson con la locandina di 'The circle' :) Il romanzo mi è piaciuto, più che un distopico a me è sembrato un thriller con molti elementi di suspence e colpi di scena. La considero ad ogni modo una lettura leggera (ogni tanto ci vuole!). Spero che anche nel film ci sarà la stessa tensione.
carroq's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
klabelle33's review against another edition
2.0
Clumsy. Contrived. I was excited about this book because What is the What is one of my favorite books and Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius was great too; they were artfully and sensitively written, compelling. This book on the other hand reads like a tween science fiction novel. Not only is the plot forced, but there is nothing artful about the prose to redeem it.
Very disappointing.
Very disappointing.