255
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #111,073 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
Do you really want to be on twenty four/seven? If yes, welcome to the Circle Community!
This is a little close to home for me since my daughter works for a social media mega company but I did think Dave Eggers spin on what social media could do to/for the world is interesting and a bit of a scary read. Mae starts her career after college with the help from a friend, Annie who is going places at a Silicon Valley mega social media corporation. The Circle seems harmless enough and has some really great perks - ice cream, state of the art workout facilities, fine dining and living quarters. Soon she finds herself surrounded by events she is "required" to attend and post online to bump her ratings in the Circle community. "Sharing is Caring" is one of the company's mottoes and as Mae soon discovers, her popularity and place in the company is slipping due to her perceived lack of interest in sharing every aspect of her day with the world. The Circle begins new programs to track and pry into every part of the world's life and soon some around her begin to rebel. Her family and old friends will have trouble dealing with this obsession Mae has with her job. There is also a mystery man who could turn out to be the best thing for her or get her fired. All is not what it seems within the company. Is it the beginning of a perfect world for all or will it be closer to George Orwell's "1984". "The Circle" will be enjoyed (or feared) by those just about to enter the job market, already in up to their neck or those that fear social media in general. As I turn to hit the button that will send this review to various social media, I am already thinking differently about all my smart devices and behavior.
October 2013 · Books
the product in question
The Circle
3.8★ · 25,293 ratings, as of 2023