Colin H

2.5 stars, rounded down to 2.

This book might have fallen prey to misaligned expectations, as I thought it was a standard sci-fi novel – yet it felt so much more like a mediocre (if not, slightly bad) YA novel.

There's a lot to be said about my gripes with the book, so I'll start with the good. The plot was fast paced, and the content was fun enough that I finished the book fairly quickly. If you expect “standard YA novel with some kitschy 80's references”, then you'll probably have a good time.

Now for the bad – I'll keep this spoiler free. This book suffered dramatically from the “single voice curse”. Every character's dialogue sounded the exact same, regardless of who they are supposed to represent. There are a few outliers, but those characters have barely any dialogue. The plot is painfully unrealistic at times, making it difficult to buy into some ideas the author is trying to sell. Similarly, the novel suffers from the failure of “show, don't tell” time and time again – where sections of the plot are brushed by or skipped over in a way that feels disappointing.

There's more to get into about the characters, plot, some borderline racist portrayals, but I'd like to avoid spoilers. I'm not sure how anyone reading this book would be completely enamored, unless their eyes are covered by the rose colored glasses of “hey! I know that thing!... and I know that thing!!”

Let me start by saying that A Gentleman in Moscow is completely outside the realm of novels that I would usually read. While I usually read Nordic noir, scifi, or fantasy novels, I picked up this book off of a recommendation.

Although the book started a tad slow, as you become more invested in the main character, The Count, the enjoyment out of the story ramps up. His quips, his perspective, and his diction are all so enjoyable that I felt myself wanting to act the same in my own life.

The story builds and rewards those who pay deep attention to detail as it progresses. My only very minor criticism is that you might find yourself Google'ing a niche French dish they talk about in the story, or other small points just to fully appreciate what they're talking about. After all the time investing in each character, the ending comes as a perfect bow to wrap up the story.

5/5.

This book, out of all the sci-fi I've read, earns the title of being the most science fiction. At times, the strict adherence to scientific mock “accuracy” was cumbersome to get through, but I appreciated how it all tied together in the end.

My copy of the book was translated by Ken Liu, who did a phenomenal job adding footnotes with cultural and historical context. Without that, I'm not sure if I would've enjoyed the book as much as I had, since it's certainly aimed and intended for a Chinese audience.

3.5ish (maybe 3.75) rounded up to 4 stars

If I viewed this book from the perspective of where it stands in the “history of sci-fi”, and how much of a trailblazer it was in that regard, I might have given it the clean 4 – but I'd much rather judge it solely on the merits of the book.

There are two things Herbert seems to greatly enjoy writing – political squabble and biologically accurate world building/planetary elements. Dialogue between characters is unique and well written. Descriptions of the world that is Arrakis are meticulous enough to evoke feelings akin to reading a textbook about a country you've never heard of.

Outside of these two primary concepts, Dune fell slightly short to me. Multiple times, I found myself longing for just... more story? Time would cut, locations would change, perspectives cut short, and I'd walk away deeply curious for everything that actually did happen in between those windows.

The last 70 pages are a shining example of what Dune “could have been” to be a 4.5, or even perfect 5 star book. Without getting into any spoiler territory, I'd honestly argue that the book is worth a read to get through to that point – especially if you pay close attention while reading until that point.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

Incredibly unique book, that encompassed more than I ever could have expected. My recent reviews have been too reliant on spoilers, so I'll keep this one succinct and spoiler free.

It felt like this entire book was one big trick Gaiman was playing. He throws you into a setting of Middle America, as mundane as he can create, tempting you to lose focus or read with haste – yet the reader is rewarded for every tidbit of information they can hold onto, from the first moment they started chapter one. Excellent.