Utterly absurd, yet completely plausible. Much like 1984, The Circle and The Every, by Dave Eggers, feel like fiction, but also undeniably like real life at the present time. The Circle was written in 2013, only three years after Instagram was released. So, it’s amazing to me that the author had so much insight and imagination into what social media would transform into over the years. And, the struggles we would have with wanting to use the services social media (and other apps like health tracking and AI) offer in order that we might share with the world and feel connected, while also battling internally with constant issues of data and privacy.
The stories and characters alone would make The Circle engrossing to read. But, with how closely this mirrors our current situation, the author provided so much more contemplation above the baseline narrative. For example, the apps that become integrated in everyday life are so imaginative. And, if not for all the pressing privacy issues, I would want them all. It’s much like today, the conundrum weighing the costs to benefits these services provide, yet also being mindful, and cautiously aware, of the associated risks and negative impacts. It’s astounding the similarities in how much data and privacy the characters in the story freely give up, much like us today. Seeing things evolve in the storyline, slowly at first and then snowballing, made me realize how normal things become over time, unquestioned and accepted. While this is a fictional story, I highly recommend reading it in the present moment. It will definitely push your mind to consider what path is right for you going forward. And, it's definitely not all doom and gloom. There is so much humor strung throughout - the workplace scenarios, especially, are hilarious, yet completely accurate.
The Every is a good follow-up story to The Circle, doing a great job of continuing on with some of the same characters from the first book as background, while introducing storylines for two new main characters that feel fresh and worthwhile to be told (not re-purposed from the first book). I continued to enjoy the imagination the author has in all of the apps and services he comes up with! Many, I legitimately think he should pursue trying to make a reality in the real world! This book continues to engage the reader to ponder deeply the balance we have between sharing and privacy, topics very relevant in todays world as people start to discuss backtracking to a more analog world in an effort to claw back some privacy and free thinking, and pursue real-life connections over digital. Like The Circle, the author did a really great job of talking about such a serious topic, while also making the storyline and characters light hearted and relatable. Even if someone chose to read this book without digging into any of the messages in a meaningful way, they would enjoy the plot and character development.
