Likewise, it is easy to see pieces of other stories in this one, whether dystopian ( 1984's watchful eye eliminating privacy and its bold-faced mantras), comedic ( Office Space's passive aggressive pressure for more 'pieces of flare,' though this is treated humorlessly in The Circle) and best-forgotten flops ( Idiocracy's ruling class communicating through a hyper-dumbed-down language/culture of cool, something I'm thankful is sloppily forgotten less than halfway into The Circle). As a human being living in a first world country, the comparisons one can draw between real-life companies and the Circle are second nature: Facebook's ever-changing privacy policies, the tender feelings of Facebook culture, Google's enormity (delving into other spheres like banking, phones, etc.) and well-publicized work environment, Steve Jobs' cool public image, WikiLeaks' total transparency, country-wide privatization of what were previously public services, etc. I imagine I will not be the only fan of dystopian literature who will be bored and feel this is retreading old territory already covered in books written long before the age of the internet. (1) Not offering anything new to the conversation. Here's what's wrong with it, in no particular order: UPDATE: My review of this book's sequel, The Every, is out now.Ī 491 page soap box.

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.

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. 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.

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.Īs 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.

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 circe book