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mandorlaby's review against another edition
5.0
I hope I won't be alive to see when this become our reality
Because this is going to happen ,
be grateful for your privacy,
don't be a machine, be a person, be unique, have an identity.
And most important of all don't complete the circle
Because this is going to happen ,
be grateful for your privacy,
don't be a machine, be a person, be unique, have an identity.
And most important of all don't complete the circle
ritchelle's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
smsienk's review against another edition
4.0
This book is both brilliant and difficult to get through, and maybe that's the point. I felt skewered by the way Eggers takes our social media driven digital society to its logical limit - the phrase "what do I care who knows X about me? I have nothing to hide" rang in my mind throughout. Privacy, knowledge, civil rights, and the tension between our collective social contract and individual liberty are at play throughout this novel. In typical Eggers fashion, none of the characters are very appealing and they are simultaneously very real. There were times I felt like some subplots or scenes dragged or were redundant, but I could also be convinced they were necessary to add to the frenetic feel of the overall plot. This is definitely a mirror of a book and it's not always flattering, but it is enlightening.
bobmcbobson's review against another edition
2.0
This book started out OK. I thought it was going to be an interesting take on life at a large high tech company. Instead, it turned out to like an Ayn Rand book for the looney left with a simple-minded philosophy barely disguised in a fairly obvious narrative. Technology is bad, the cloud is bad, social media is bad, big companies are bad. Google (or "The Circle" in this case) will spell the doom of civilization if left unchecked. The book quickly devolved into a fear of big brother tale and I really couldn't wait until it was over.
nataliem_98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this, it was a very quick read. Conceptually interesting felt almost satirical but 10 years on from publishing has lost that as most concepts were no longer particularly shocking, so did a good job predicting the way tech is heading. My only complaint is the people didn't feel human enough they felt too robotic which I guess was the point, but just lost me in parts. Also the reveal that Khalden is Ty was obvious, considering we met the other inventors and given no explanation for not meeting Ty Overall fun read
myrtheleguijt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
nooneyouknow's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe 2.5 stars. By the end I just didn't really like it and found myself hoping the story would morph into something other than what it was. No real disagreement with the satiric exploration of big themes (privacy, group think, etc.), but the story was a little flat.
tidecaller's review against another edition
2.0
i had to read this in english class. i truly wanted to like it, i really did like it at some point. the beginning and ending was blunt, boring and you knew what was going to happen. the middle of the book and the turning point however were amazing. the most interesting character was kalden and if your mysterious love interest is the most interesting one, you have done something wrong.
what initialled turned me off was how eggers described annie and mae, it was clear that this man has no idea about women.
what initialled turned me off was how eggers described annie and mae, it was clear that this man has no idea about women.
alexprzy's review against another edition
4.0
This book was perfect for its time / now, calling out 'the overdatification' of our lives just as that wave really crested in 2013/4. Scenes that still linger: the three animals in the tank + how differently Francis acts when on stage at the very end - chilling.