The Circle Summary
Description
Here you will find a The Circle summary (Dave Eggers's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters The Circle Summary Overview
Mae Holland, a young professional, finds herself working at a major tech company recognized for its innovation, thanks to her college friend, Annie Allerton. The company, known for its TruYou system that consolidates user's online identities into one trackable account, has quickly grown into a global powerhouse. As Mae integrates into the company's culture of "Passion, Participation, and Transparency," she experiences struggle due to her more reserved nature. Meanwhile, her personal life is marked by her father's multiple sclerosis and her ex-boyfriend Mercer's constant questioning of her job and the company's invasive technology. Despite the challenges, Mae views her job as a golden opportunity as she becomes an influencer, and more importantly, a lifeline for her parents when she adds them to her company's health insurance plan. She becomes involved with two men at work - Francis, working on a controversial child tracking software, and Kalden, an enigmatic man whom no one seems to know much about. When she gets caught by the company's surveillance cameras while on a stress-relieving kayaking trip, she agrees to wear a 24/7 camera, boosting her visibility and popularity. As her influence grows, so does her belief in the company's vision, even as it unveils more intrusive programs and aims for something called Completion. This newfound power leads to friction with Annie, who grows wary of the company after uncovering disturbing family history through one of its programs. Mae's belief in technology's power takes a tragic turn when she uses a live tracking system on Mercer, who ends his life in reaction to this extreme invasion of privacy. Despite these incidents, Mae remains loyal to the company, even thwarting a plan by the company's founder, who revealed himself as Kalden, to stop Completion. The story closes with Mae sitting beside an ailing Annie, confident that she saved the company from potential downfall.
book 1 part 1
Mae Holland, a fresh recruit at the renowned tech enterprise "The Circle," owes her position to her college friend, Annie Allerton. Annie, already part of the company's elite group, the Gang of 40, is relaxed and cheerful, compared to the anxious Mae. During her induction, Mae discovers that the company's "campus" consists of numerous buildings for work and leisure and is awed by her progress from her previous humble job at a local utility company. During the orientation, Annie introduces Mae to an exclusive library owned by Eamon Bailey, one of the company's leaders. The room is adorned with antique books and a peculiar portrait of the company's three presidents known as the Three Wise Men. Ty Gospodinov, the founder and an introverted tech wizard, developed TruYou, a unified operating system. Eamon Bailey is the firm's "family man," with a house in San Francisco, and Tom Stenton, the "money man," is a ruthless businessman. Mae's supervisor, Dan, informs her that she'll be part of the Customer Experience team. He emphasizes the company's mantra "Community First," and encourages her to participate in the frequent on-campus parties. At one such event, Mae is approached by an odd young man, Francis, who unsuccessfully tries to charm her. At the end of the day, an exhausted but thrilled Mae returns to her modest apartment outside the city.
book 1 part 2
Mae has quickly got the hang of her job by Friday, with her performance ratings on a rise, thanks to customer feedback. Dan emphasizes on reaching the ideal 100% satisfaction level and rectifying any shortcomings through follow-ups. During lunch with Annie, Sabine, and Josef, she discovers Francis, her acquaintance from the party, has had a tragic life involving the loss of his parents and the subsequent murder of his sisters. His past ordeal motivates his work in child safety. In a weekly corporate gathering, "Dream Friday", employees share their ongoing projects. Eamon Bailey introduces his new venture, "SeeChange" which encourages people to install miniscule cameras everywhere. The purpose, as he explains, is to constantly monitor societal activities, useful for tracking protests, riots, and felonies, under the belief that "all that happens must be known" for ensuring accountability of nations, governments, and individuals. Mae visits her parents over the weekend and learns about her father's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the accompanying struggles with the health insurance provider. Disturbed by the situation, she seeks solace in kayaking amidst nature and wildlife. Back in office, Mae is swamped with a backlog of customer queries. She catches up with Francis over lunch, who reveals his project, ChildTrack, that intends to implant chips into children's bones for perennial tracking. Later, a peculiar man named Kalden, claiming to be a coworker, takes interest in her work. Gina interrupts them to provide Mae a third monitor for her workspace, contributing to the surveillance environment where every employee's activities and social interactions can be monitored. The level of social participation, including likes, comments, and discussions with colleagues through Zing, influences a PartiRank that compares employees. Overwhelmed by her day, Mae falls asleep.
book 1 part 3
Mae struggles to balance her work and online social presence, deciding to focus more on her job. To her surprise, she is summoned by Dan, her boss, for a meeting with Alistair, a colleague who is upset about her missing his "Portugal Brunch" event. Mae is baffled, as she's never even met Alistair. Dan suggests they "hug it out," then proceeds to write an incident report. Annie reassures Mae that Alistair is just overly sensitive and she shouldn't worry. Later, however, Annie apologizes for her previous remarks and becomes anxious when Mae doesn't respond immediately. Mae starts spending more time with Francis and unexpectedly kisses him. They attend the Circle's "Dream Friday" talk, where innovators discuss their projects. Gus Khazeni, the developer of "LuvLuv," a dating research program, is presenting. Mae feels invaded when Francis volunteers for the demo and her personal data is displayed. She storms off, angry at Francis. Soon after, she learns that her father has suffered a seizure. She returns home to find her ex, Mercer, who criticizes the Circle. Irritated, Mae takes a kayak trip to soothe her nerves. Afterward, she has her first physical at the campus clinic with Dr. Villalobos, who secretly gives her a sensor to track her health and a bracelet. When Mae mentions her father's MS, the doctor suggests she speaks to Annie about getting him on the company health plan.
book 1 part 4
Annie is disappointed that Mae withheld the news about her father's MS condition. She quickly arranges for Mae's father to be included in the company's health insurance plan, leaving Mae surprised and grateful. Mae's parents see her as their "savior." Elated for the first time, Mae decides to attend a campus event. She opts for a circus-themed party, the “Funky Arse Whole Circus," where she meets a young man named Kalden, who rescues her from a sword-wielding circus performer. The next day, Mae shares her encounter with Kalden with Annie, who teases her for being attracted to an “old man” due to Kalden's gray hair. When Mae fails to find Kalden in the Circle directory, Annie grows suspicious and speculates he might be an undercover agent. Meanwhile, Mae dismisses Francis's plea for forgiveness over the LuvLuv incident. The company holds a meeting regarding a Senate investigation into the Circle, led by Senator Williamson, which Mae exhibits no interest in. Annie hints at potential "trouble ahead" for the Senator. Dan discusses Mae's low participation rank at the Circle, explaining that those in the top 2,000 are part of the “2K.” HR representatives Josiah and Denise reiterate the company's slogan “PPT (Passion, Participation, Transparency),” and criticize Mae for not engaging more, speculating she may have low self-esteem. Feeling guilty, Mae spends long hours engaging with posts to boost her rank. Later, she accommodates Francis's invitation to his room where an awkward sexual encounter leaves Mae feeling powerful. Francis reveals his inability to contact his foster parents due to agency rules. Mae is shocked to discover that Francis recorded their intimate moment and insists he delete it, but Francis refuses, citing the company's transparency policy.
book 1 part 5
Annie tells Mae that the Circle's policy is to never delete anything due to Bailey, one of its leaders, valuing all information. Stenton, another leader, presents on the principle of openness, using Stewart, an employee who willingly wears a camera recording his daily life, as an example. The idea of Congress and the Circle itself becoming transparent is introduced, with the installation of "SeeChange" cameras, making everything public. Mae unexpectedly meets Kalden again. His identity remains a mystery, and after sharing a bottle of wine, he takes her to a hidden cave network holding vast data storage units containing Stewart's life records. After a romantic night together, Mae suspects that Kalden could be a spy or a top Circle official. She tells Annie about the incident but omits some parts. Mae's sense of importance at the Circle heightens. A new responsibility is added to her role: answering "CircleSurveys" on behalf of the Circle. As she responds to queries all day, her significance grows. When asked to support a woman who escaped a Guatemalan paramilitary group online, Mae realizes her role in global affairs. Kalden reappears and invites Mae for another secret meeting. Despite her hesitation, they meet in a bathroom stall and become intimate. Mae tries to take his picture, but only captures his arm as he leaves. Returning home, Mae sees a chandelier made of antlers, a gift from Mercer to her parents. She admires the chandelier, secretly photographs it, and shares it online to promote Mercer's work. As Mercer's website traffic increases, Mae doesn't notice Mercer's discomfort, leading him to leave. Chasing him to his car, he criticizes her obsession with data and technology, saying she's become dull and reclusive.
book 1 part 6
Mae's frustration with her ex-boyfriend Mercer is overwhelming. She questions why she ever dated such a "fat" and "unambitious" man. On her way home, she visits her beloved kayak spot. Although it's closed, she sees a returned kayak and debates taking it. Despite the constant monitoring, she opts to take the kayak to Blue Island, a seldom visited location. The solitude invigorates her. Upon returning, she's met by the police, alerted by two "SeeChange" cameras. Marion, the store owner's son, and a local had installed them. Recognizing Mae, a regular customer, Marion calls off the police. The following day, Mae's boss, Dan, informs her that her run-in with the police has reached the Circle. Disturbed by her "lies and aversions," he sends her to Eamon Bailey. Bailey's keen interest in the situation becomes clear as he questions her about the stolen kayak and the constant surveillance of the SeeChange cameras. He challenges Mae's views on secrets, forcing her to consider her concealed relationship with Kalden. Drawing a parallel between Mae's actions and global affairs, Bailey proposes that constant scrutiny could improve behavior. He believes that "knowing everything" about a person can create a perfected society. When asked to confess, Mae admits to sneaking into Bailey's office with Annie. Bailey pardons her and later, during the weekly Dream Friday talk, Mae publicly confesses her kayak incident. She declares her decision to go transparent for the company and introduces three new slogans she's devised under Bailey's guidance: "Secrets Are Lies," "Sharing Is Caring," and "Privacy Is Theft."
book 2 part 1
Mae is now constantly filmed, even Congress members have followed suit due to immense pressure. Her transparency has caused her popularity to skyrocket, gaining her 2.1 million followers and a place within the top ten of the Circle's PartiRank. There's an unidentified project called 'Completion' stirring curiosity in the office. Mae is assigned to film a company event at the Circle's aquarium where a transparent shark from the Marianas Trench will be introduced by Stenton. Bailey's discomfort grows as he watches the shark's violent nature. Kalden reaches out to Mae, briefly disabling her audio to arrange a secret meeting. He expresses grave concern for the consequences of 'Completion'. Despite apprehension, Mae returns to her duties, now burdened with a new policy called 'reciprocity' that demands more intimate interaction with customers. During a recording session, she crosses paths with Annie who appears uneasy around the constantly filming Mae. Annie introduces Mae's audience to her new project, PastPerfect and privately shares concerns about Mae's rising popularity and influence at the Circle. Post encounter, Mae is found weeping. During a checkup, Dr. Villalobos reveals that Mae's parents have been hiding from the SeeChange cameras installed in their house to monitor her father's health. Mae vows to confront them immediately. She feels resentment towards Annie's family who boast a historical lineage. Her parents struggle to act naturally in front of the cameras during dinner. Mae's parents pass on a note from Mercer which she reads live; he admits to covering the cameras and criticizes Mae and the Circle's excessive transparency. Upon returning inside to discuss her parents' discomfort with the cameras, she unintentionally barges in on them. All three are mortified. Mae's request to delete the video is denied by Bailey, who insists on absolute transparency for the experiment to work.
book 2 part 2
Mae suffers a panic attack at the Circle, feeling "a million souls" screaming within her. She seeks comfort in Francis, who shares a peculiar fantasy. They engage in a role-play and have sex, after which Francis insists Mae to rate him. Despite her reluctance, Mae ends up giving him a perfect score. Bailey presents a plan to use Circle accounts to foster voter engagement. Mae adds to this by suggesting that all eligible voters must have a Circle account. Her idea ruffles Annie's feathers, but Bailey and Stenton shut her down. A conversation ensues about freezing profiles of non-voters and using them to manage governmental systems. Mae's groundbreaking idea turns her into a celebrity in and outside the Circle. The Circle starts working on a prototype, "Demoxie," based on Mae's idea. Demoxie compulsorily requires users to respond to questions to keep their accounts active. Mae is awestruck by how swiftly her ideas are materialized. She then takes a call from Kalden, who warns her that her idea suits Bailey and Stenton's aim for "Completion," or a complete monopoly. Confused, Mae hangs up. Later, during a Demoxie demo, a poll asks whether employees think Mae is awesome. A small percentage votes negatively, causing Mae to spiral into anxiety. Francis suggests tracking those individuals through the Circle, but this only scares Mae further. She encounters Annie, who announces her participation in the first trial of PastPerfect. Mae feels inadequate compared to Annie's socioeconomic privilege. During a regular idea-pitching session, Mae learns about a new tracking system that categorizes criminals by their crimes and monitors movements inside homes to prevent domestic violence.
book 2 part 3
Annie and Mae have a conversation in which Annie discloses disturbing information about her ancestry uncovered by PastPerfect - her ancestors were slave owners. This revelation sparks Mercer to write a letter encouraging Annie to quit the program, and declaring his intention to live off the grid due to fear. Further shocking news about her parents' witnessed inaction during a man’s drowning incident comes to light, shaking Annie to her core. She starts doubting the Circle's belief in complete transparency, a concept Mae defends, assuring her of the public's understanding. Overwhelmed, Annie experiences a mental breakdown. In a Circle event, Mae discusses SoulSearch, a technology facilitating live crowdsourcing to capture criminals. She demonstrates by posting a fugitive's photo on the Circle's social platforms, and is amazed when the person is located and apprehended almost instantly. She tests this technology on Mercer, her elusive friend. When Mercer realizes he's being tracked, he attempts to flee, but ultimately drives off a cliff to his death. This gruesome scene leaves everyone in utter shock. The internal conflict within Mae resurfaces. Bailey, in an attempt to comfort her, invites her to another feeding of Stenton's transparent shark where they run into Kalden, whom Bailey introduces as Ty, the Circle's founder. This revelation shocks Mae. In a clandestine meeting, Ty admits to hiding his identity for her safety. He warns Mae that unchecked control by the Circle will lead to more tragedies like Mercer's. He begs her to publicly denounce the Circle's objectives and to escape with him. Mae, however, maintains that everything should be visible and known to give meaning to people's lives.
book 3
Mae is with Annie, who lies in a coma in the clinic. It's believed her unconscious state is due to stress or exhaustion, but it appears she's suffered a nervous breakdown. Thanks to worldwide medical observation, the doctors remain hopeful about her recovery. Mae, sitting by Annie's bed, feels a sense of triumph for thwarting an attack on the Circle by revealing Ty's disguise as Kalden and his plans to obstruct the Circle's objective of Completion. Despite Ty's actions, Bailey and Stenton have permitted him to remain on campus, although isolated. Mae hasn't had any contact with Ty or her parents in a while. Mae ponders Annie's thoughts and potential dreams, irritated with the doctors' inability to read her mind. She exchanges greetings with Francis, anticipating their later meeting at an event celebrating the Circle's recent achievement — ten million people now live transparently. Mae wishes Annie could join; it was her efforts that helped achieve this milestone. Mae believes the Circle's completion will result in peace, unity, and an end to uncertainty. Her concern for Annie's mind resurfaces and she considers bringing it up with Stenton and Bailey; they all deserve to understand what's happening in Annie's brain.
