‘They were hidden in the dark water, in their black parallel world, and knowing they were there, but not knowing where, or really anything else, felt, at that moment, strangely right.’

The Circle (TC) is a story about the perils of social media and in this way you could say it fits right in to the dystopian science fiction genre. But it’s not some pseudo-1984 book we have on our hands here, though first impressions and tone signify that things aren’t all they seem. What’s confusing is that main character Mae goes along with it for so long despite this, but she does have her motivations.

Motivations for Mae’s gullibility

Mae’s father isn’t doing too well with multiple sclerosis, and it plagues her mind that her parents are struggling with the insurance company, spending more time getting him medication and appointments than actually getting him treated. Mae was a high achiever at her old job, and it didn’t resemble the promising, exciting future she’d anticipated.

So when her friend Annie comes along with an offer for her to work at The Circle, Mae jumps for joy and leaves her old job, hoping it’ll save her ego and her parents’ struggles. She’s outfitted with a new office working for Customer Experience to get ratings on her performance, and screen after screen is installed. First she has two screens, then as the story progresses she had to adapt and receive different types of notices on a number of screens. Later she ends up interacting with technology in such a way as to make her look a buffoon to some, but dedicated and vitalised to others.

TC is a subtle critique of social media companies

Author Dave Eggers makes the staff at the Circle highly sensitive to not receiving replies, though in the past such attitudes would have seemed silly, obsessive, and concerning. She’s strongly ‘encouraged’ to be involved with after-work clubs. Along with the screens installed and with the pressure Mae is under, it’s surprising she doesn’t have a mental breakdown.

There is this concept of completing the Circle also, and how this act may propel the world into a techno-future, but not much is said initially about exactly what underpins the completion of the Circle. Then, there is Mae’s ex Mercer who comes across as many things: reasonable, pompous, obese, uncaring, and old fashioned to Mae. Mercer is the old voice in TC lecturing Mae on how she’s missing social cues and not listening to her own parents. In essence, Mercer is a dying breed and Mae thinks so, but there are times we really want her to listen to him.

Overall

TC is an enjoyable read. I wouldn’t say it’s fast-paced, but it keeps the pages turning. There are times when it’s frustrating that the story doesn’t get to the point, opting instead for exaggeration. It’s thankful there is enough interest in Mae, the characters around her, and the ever-changing world that much resembles the technological revolution we’ve been through. There is no accurate vision of the future quite like the present.