Mostly my thoughts on the main character as a narrative device and my experience reading the book. My Goodreads: / 6315232 My Twitter: / anywiebs My Instagram: / anywiebs My Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/Anywiebs/
Watching this preparing for my English finals tomorrow. Hoping this book will be one of the topics as it has been a necessary read. Very nice analysis to see another persons point of view (that however aligns pretty much identically with mine) on Mae and the whole book.
I read this book a few years ago, and I thought it was fascinating. It almost felt like a horror novel. I read Ready Player One around the same time, and it was really interesting to compare The Circle’s world that abandoned online privacy with Ready Player One’s world of absolute privacy.
Oh that must have been such an interesting experience. I found myself more interested in the way the book is written since the privacy conversation seems so old and dated reading the book now. Now I want to reread RPO to compare 😂
I read this book a few years ago, an interesting read! I agree with your review and thoughts about the main character not seeing how wrong certain things with the company are. I thought it was a really interesting story.
Initially she was seemed so desperate to "belong" to something.... reminded me of my middle grade students and high school students. I totally agree with your perception of her progression throughout the book... I was uncomfortable the entire book.. I was anxious for her, and then at times so frustrated with her.. And soooo much better than the movie, deeper and more captivating.
I had the ending spoiled for me, but hearing you discuss the book tempts me to read it anyway. It sounds like a nice satire/warning about this computer/social media age we live it, delivered ironically by the written form of the novel.
I think it doesn't really matter knowing the ending. It saves you the trouble of guessing/hoping wrong like I did. I think it's worth reading still to follow the progress of her development and thought processes as well as the company's culture and workings.
Hahahaha, I think that's a common feeling on booktube. I was shocked to see the book was published in 2013, I wanted to read it when it came out already 🤷
Hello and thank you so much for this video! I just finished The Circle, and I found it brilliant. If I may object something to your analysis: I wouldn't call Mae "stupid". To me, she was only the result of a "sick society", ruled by anxiety and obsession of performance. Her lack of self-confidence makes her the perfect target for the Circle. I think your simile with a cult was quite interesting and showed the mechanism of influence and manipulation behind the Circle. I mean, we all use daily social medias where "influencers" show every detail of their lives, where each and everyone of us has the right to answer directly to a presidential Tweet. Do we question it? Some do, but most of us don't. I'm part of a generation that grew up with the Internet, social medias are a part of my life that has always been here. I'm not so sure that collectively, we wouldn't react just like Mae. Does that mean we're stupid? No. Does that mean we're all manipulated by the Internet and social medias? Well, I wouldn't go that far. But to me, Mae was only a lambda person, caught up in a system. The arising of a totalitarian system is a complex mechanism, that is not that easy to escape. As a result, I wouldn't be so hard on Mae and call her stupid... But that's only my opinion! Again, thank you for your video 😊
Thanks for your response. I must admit I'd have to rewatch to see in what context I called her stupid, which in itself is clearly a judgment on my part and not an objective position. As someone who had finished her first university degree before the internet was widely accessible I cannot imagine how I'd look at this if I were a digital native. Thanks very much for your insight on that. I may have been harsh on Mae as she aggravated me with her actions while reading so much.
Just be prepared to read a book with an unlikable MC. I looked at some negative reviews and it seems people really hated the way she was written, which I think was on purpose.
hello mam I am a researching on this book please make an explanation video about its ending..i couldn't quite grasp that...I will be very grateful thank you:)
I read this book and I completely agree with you. The main character is the most annoying character. In the beginning, I wanted to believe that she was naive, but no. Then I realized that she was so selfish and arrogant and if she thought that something was right and it was "the better for the world" didn't matter if other people had different opinions or evidence, because her point of view was the only truth. In general, it was a very tedious book.
I’ve seen a lot of people discussing the book more in relation to the terrible writing and characters. But the philosophy of the book is still interesting and it’s a good thought experiment. Is privacy really bad? If all privacy was eliminated, would life be better? Eamon Bailey makes a really good case for this, and his argument against privacy really trumps all counter arguments by Kalden or Mercer.
I’m going to listen to the book here on RU-vid. The library doesn’t have it. I’m glad I can get free here. I watched the movie. I agree with you and I see the dangers. But you would be surprised at how many people would actually believe, support and agree with Mae. I mean how stupid is it to call someone who doesn’t want to wear a mask selfish? If you don’t wear a mask, then it’s your fault that people get sick. All of a sudden we’re all carriers of germs .......as if we weren’t before. 🤦🏻♀️. And now we’re supposed to wear a mask all the time. I personally never thought, let’s talk real life now, that the world would be so easily controlled by Simply introducing into the world a virus and telling the powers that be all ttelling us about how many people are dying and how many people have it and that we all have to wear a mask which I call mind control devices. I never thought it would just be a little virus that would cause the powers that be to be able to start controlling the world. I am a Christian, read Revelation, this is just the beginning. Thank you for your great review of this book. People need to be aware. This book is not as “science fiction” as some may think.
What I find more surprising these days is watching movies and shows that deal with the possibility of a pandemic and how naive the commentary sounds now. Isn't it sad, that we already fail at wearing a mask to limit spread. Just imagine what would happen if we were asked to actually do something difficult and more intrusive. I mean we expect surgeons to wear them to operate on us, but we complain about wearing them in a crowded enviroment? Sorry, but I find it rather scary how challenging a mask is to people.
