History Literature / TheCircle2013

* AmbiguousDisorder: Mae is implied to develop this over the course of the book. The further she slides into the Circle's mindset of being connected to everyone at all times, the less she can handle being alone or talking to people whose opinions differ from hers. It gets so bad that she describes her feelings of dissatisfaction as a screaming white void inside her body that can only be silenced by interacting with her followers. She also becomes unable to communicate with people who disagree with her, immediately turning to extreme verbal abuse and insults whenever her conversation partner says something she doesn't like.

The book was adapted into [[Film/TheCircle2017 a film]] in 2017. A sequel novel, ''The Every'', was released in 2021.

The book was adapted into [[Film/TheCircle2017 a film]] in 2017. A sequel, ''The Every'', was released in 2021.

* CorporateConspiracy: The titular tech company, a combination of Website/{{Facebook}} and Website/{{Google}}, are plotting "full transparency", an attempt to get so many people to "go transparent" (be filmed and observed at all times) that everybody will need to participate.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: Invoked in-universe. The Circle never accommodates negative emotions.

* FrameUp: It is heavily implied that the Circle frames those who resist its 'transparency' for various unforgivable crimes.

* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: Mae is short for “Maebelline.”

* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The Three Wise Men who run the Circle. Eamon Bailey (Nice) is the folksy "Uncle Eamon" and public face of the Circle, Tom Stenton (Mean) is the self-proclaimed "Capitalist Prime" CEO, and founder Ty Gospodinov (In-Between) is the reclusive genius who designed the [=TruYou=] unified identity system that is the basis of the Circle's products [[spoiler: but also recognizes that the Circle has gone too far.]]

[[quoteright:329:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_circle.jpg]]

A dystopian novel written by Dave Eggers and published in 2013, ''The Circle'' is centered around Mae Holland, a tech worker who is brought into The Circle, a technology company, by her friend Annie, who is influential in the company.

The book was adapted into [[Film/TheCircle2017 a film]] in 2017.

* {{Cult}}: The Circle is one in everything but name. It's an extremely secluded community that emphasizes the familial bond between its members, has a wide-spread campus on which it is entirely possible to live, members leaving the Circle's ground and/or spending time by themselves or with non-Circle members is not forbidden per sé, but heavily frowned upon and discouraged and every 'Circler' (Mae included) shows a nigh fanatical devotion to the Circle itself and it's leaders, the Three Wise Men.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: After a brief HopeSpot at the end of Book II, Book III starts with the revelation that Mae betrayed Ty by outing him to the world and the other two Wise Men, leading to him being excluded from the company and confined on the campus grounds. The book ends with The Circle complete, with no one left to stop it from spreading it's influence across the world and Mae thinking about a way to make even ''thoughts'' transparent.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Mae is implied to develop this over the course of the book. The further she slides into the Circle's mindset of being connected to everyone at all times, the less she can handle being alone or talking to people whose opinion's differ from hers. It gets so bad that she describes her feelings of dissatisfaction as a screaming white void inside her body that can only be silenced by interacting with her followers.

NeedsWikiMagicLove.

* VillainProtagonist: [[spoiler:Mae slowly slips into being this over the course of the book, ending with]] [[spoiler:her]] betrayal of Ty and [[spoiler:her]] direct responsibility for the Circle's completion.

* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: It becomes evident the longer the story goes that Mae considers herself automatically superior because she's part of the Circle. However, whenever a higher-ranking Circler chastises her even a little bit, she falls into an emotional crisis and mentally beats herself up for being 'selfish' and not valuing the Circle enough.

* DespairEventHorizon: Annie suffers one when she learns about her family history, and does not recover.
* DrivenToSuicide: a possible interpretation of how Annie ends up comatose at the end of the novel.

* [[spoiler:VillainProtagonist]]: [[spoiler:Mae slowly slips into being this over the course of the book, ending with her betrayal of Ty and her direct responsibility for the Circle's completion.]]

* BigBrotherIsWatching: The Circle's SeeChange cameras, which end up being ubiquitously placed everywhere. [[spoiler:Later, people begin to wear these cameras, including Mae herself.]].