The Circle

More about the book

When Mae Holland is hired by the Circle, the world's most powerful internet company, she believes she's found the opportunity of a lifetime. Based in a sprawling California campus, the Circle integrates users' emails, social media, banking, and purchasing into a single online identity, promoting a new era of civility and transparency. Mae is captivated by the open office spaces, glass dining facilities, and cozy dorms for employees who work late. The vibrant atmosphere includes all-night parties, live music, athletic clubs, and even an aquarium of rare fish. Thrilled by her fortune to work for such an influential company, Mae becomes increasingly immersed in the Circle's culture, even as her life outside the campus fades away. A disconcerting encounter with a colleague leaves her unsettled, and her role at the Circle grows more public. What starts as a story of ambition and idealism evolves into a gripping narrative that raises critical questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.