The Circle by Dave Eggers
"It's a book about whatever company is going to come after Google, Facebook, or Twitter. Except the company, called The Circle, will be bigger, consume all of them, and only have one identity. It could be a real company in the near future," I told Kate as I sat on her couch.
The Circle is a book about a potential dystopian future where privacy is obsolete and sharing—posting on boards, expressing your political opinion with online smiles or frowns, zinging messages to companies, and answering surveys—is the ultimate human act.
It scared the shit out of me.
I find myself glued to my screen way too much. I get weirded out by my friends who don't have Facebook, and at the same time I'm proud of them because they aren't looking down at their phone in the middle of conversations, like I find myself doing far too often.
The Circle reminded me of the power of technology. All of these devices are amazing tools—mind boggling really. But I also pause because I wonder if I am using technology as a tool or if I am using it like a crack addict uses their needle. Is my phone demanding my attention? Am I able to control the impulse? Or, am I just a slave to the other phone addict that likes my photo on Instagram?
The book follows a twenty-four year old recent college graduate working at her hometown utility company, barely surviving paying bills and putting up with her boss who knows far less than she does. She has one friend currently working at The Circle with whom she was roommates in college, and in a final ditch effort decides to ask her about a job.
I've never been inside a character's head the way Eggers lets you into Mae's. I was being let in on the way this woman thought about jealousy, success, intimacy, fickle relationships, and everything in between.
The Circle travels the emotional landscape of what I find my peers dealing with: job security, purpose in life, relationships, and fear of failure, with tender openness. Mae is a character we can relate to because she is someone who wants to be open and honest, but is unable to work through internal turmoil because she is constantly being watched. She wants to be a good person but struggles with the same jealousies and doubts that we all do. One minute she has absolute certainty about her place in the world, and the next she is crying in a bathroom stall because her best friend can't handle that she is succeeding in life, all of which is sprung on by the invasive technological advancements made by The Circle.
If I had to rate the book, like most review sites do, ranging from one cigarette to a full pack, I would say you need to buy a full pack of smokes (preferably American Spirits) to be able to handle the questions that this novel brings up. You would smoke half the pack while reading the book and the other half while talking about it with friends. Also, it’s a 500 page door jam without chapters. You might need the smokes just to keep reading.
It’s a terrifyingly honest book that anyone dealing with the ever-increasing presence of technology can relate to. You should go to your local bookstore and pick it up. It will be way better than watching another show on Netflix.
