Dune

Things I loved about this book:
- Really good action/fight scenes
- The science fiction gadgets and technology were cool
- Paul seems like a nice kid
- The descriptions of Dune's environment and the critters that try to survive there were powerful
- The obvious nods to Arabic and Bedouin cultures were cool

Things I hated about this book:
- It is ~10,000 years in the future so why is everyone talking and acting like it is Medieval England
- Wife, mother, servant, or sex slave were the only roles available to women
- The Bene Gesserit: WTF is that bullshit
- It changes from a sci-fi adventure into a religious fantasy novel

So I hated it a tiny bit, then I really liked it, then I hated it again while understanding and grudgingly respecting what the author is trying to show us, then I liked the final bit. About halfway through the book I started noodling around online and saw that this book is actually considered more of a prequel to the rest of the Dune series rather than the first book; it is Paul's origin story, and is just setting the stage for the later books. Once I saw that this book made tons more sense, and I could more easily swallow what was happening.

Overall I was truly drawn into the world of Dune but a little disappointed by what I found there.

How interesting is the experience of reading a book so iconic it inspired lots and lots of the works you read and watch and like on a daily basis? Dune is... an experience, there's no other way of putting it. It is an experience. It took me a good while to get into it, too—200 pages or so—, but I could finally reach a point where all I could think about was Dune. I certainly can understand why it's a classic, and I can't wait to read its sequels—well, actually, I can... I'll probably wait a while.

Do you know what I really want to do, though? Watch SyFy's Frank Herbert's Children of Dune with James McAvoy. Yes. Thank you.

Frank Herbert's Dune is a monumental achievement in science fiction literature, earning every bit of its five-star rating. From the moment you step into this immersive universe, you're thrust into a world of political intrigue, complex characters, and an environment so vividly described, it feels like you could reach out and touch the sands of Arrakis.

The inclusion of a glossary is a testament to Herbert's dedication to ensuring readers can fully immerse themselves in his richly crafted world. It's a thoughtful touch that, for the most part, aids in navigating the intricacies of the Dune universe. Personally, I found that accompanying the audiobook with the physical text was a stroke of genius, as it allowed for a seamless experience, minimizing the risk of mispronunciations and enhancing the overall immersion.

Herbert's writing is nothing short of extraordinary. His meticulous attention to detail when describing the desert landscape of Arrakis showcases a deep understanding of ecology, elevating the setting to a character in its own right. The harsh beauty of the desert is palpable, and one can almost feel the sand beneath their feet as they journey alongside the characters.

The plot is a masterclass in storytelling. Herbert weaves a complex web of political manoeuvring, personal vendettas, and power struggles that keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout. The characters' internal dialogues are masterfully depicted, providing insight into their motivations and fears. The scene you allude to, where thoughts are narrated during a seemingly mundane dinner, is a testament to Herbert's skill in seamlessly blending exposition with action, adding depth to the narrative.

Dune is not just a story; it's a fully realized world that challenges the imagination and leaves an indelible mark on the reader's psyche. It's a testament to Herbert's vision and literary prowess that this novel remains a cornerstone of science fiction, influencing countless works that followed.

An absolute tour de force in the realm of speculative fiction, deserving of every one of its five stars. Whether you're a seasoned sci-fi enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, this book is a must-read that will transport you to a world both familiar and utterly alien, leaving you yearning for more.

It is hard to figure out what kind of book Dune is. First, let's classify what Dune is not. Dune is not easy; it is not the kind of sci-fi book that tells you about something, or how to feel about the story. Dune shows you what the Sands of Arrakis look like, and it shows you how they feel under your feet, and you can hear the sandworms crashing through the red hot sand if you listen close enough. That is the magic of Herbert's writing. It isn't flashy, and you might feel like it is a little bit dated — you blasphemer. But, the world building is so good that Dune helped define what epic science fiction is. We are here today in storytelling because of stories like Dune that came before us.

The plot is complicated, but summed up Dune is the story of the rise of Paul as a religious leader and savior of the Planet Arrakis causing the fall of the human emperor of the galaxy 10,000 years into the future. Humans have raced towards all corners of the universe, colonizing habitable planets. Arrakis is a colonized small desert planet plentiful with a valuable drug resource called Melange. Melange is the drug of choice for the rich and elite of the galaxy. The powers that be want the drug and control of the planet. Paul, the son of a powerful family house, seeks refuge with the desert people of the planet. There he discovers his innate powers and matures into the religious leader and figurehead of the Sand people. Plus ecology, how religion affects the masses, and familial drama.

The compelling thing about Dune is not the world-building, which is impressive, or the storyline, which is detailed, it is the social commentary. Maybe some people do not want a dash of social commentary with their sci-fi, but I do. Books that have the extra layer of writing and thought always stay with me as a reader and linger for years. Dune talks about feminism, ecology, power struggles, and family... so much. If you haven't read it, do it. First, watch the hilarious 1980's movie, get that out of your system, then go read the book. I highly recommend it. I mean, it's Dune, what else can I say?

Up until July when I read Dune, I had been in a reading dry spell for around 8 years (I am embarrassed to say!). Upon reading the first chapters, I was confused by the immediate thrust into worlds I had not been told of beforehand. But after that I consumed the book quicker than I had in a long time. My partner was even shocked at how enthralled I was with Dune, considering he hadn't seen me read like that since we had started dating. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed Dune with Herbert's fantastic world building and creating such amazing characters. This book should be on everyone's must read list. I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.

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.

sacrilegious I know, but I felt the second half of the book was weak. The beginning started off so strong setting up an epic struggle which then dissolved into a walk in the park resolution. Even the ‘significant' loss suffered didn't feel significant as no time was spent on it. It felt like it was thrown in to show Paul suffering in his victory but he didn't.

TL;DR

I didn't grow up with this book like many people had. I recently just started reading and was recommended this book. I don't know if it's because I don't have much experience in the science fiction genre to compare it to but this book is amazing. I really liked everything about it, the story, the world building, the characters, the environments, the history... If you want to read a good science fiction story that even though it's a series can be read as a standalone perfectly fine. It has a good and satisfying ending. Go read this book!

My Scoring System

I have five things I look for in a book, if the book checks all five it's a 5/5 stars book, if it checks none it's a 1/5 stars and everything else is a combination:

✓ - Main Story: Great story, I like the way this story is told and how it was written. I don't have any mayor gripes with it. Good stuff.

✓ - Side Stories (if it applies): I liked all the side stuff, the Baron's plan, the Fremen's plan all the stories were great. I really enjoyed reading them.

✓ - Characters: Amazing characters, from the "good" ones to the evil ones are all amazing. I didn't dislike any of them.

✓ - Setting/Ambiance: Arrakis is always an amazing place, a desert planet filled with sandworms. I reall like the desert theme.

✓ - Ending: I liked the ending, you can stop here and it's a perfectly good spot.

Extensive Review

Not much to add here since this is the section where I say what annoyed or bothered me about the book. I pretty much liked everything about it, again, this might be due to me having just started reading science fiction and not having many pieces to compare it to but I really liked this book.

The characters were well written, my favorite, Jessica is amazing. Every chapter with her which is pretty much the whole story thankfully was a blast to see how she thinks, reacts and takes action. The bene gesserit as a whole I really like, the idea of a group of very powerfull females that select which genes gets to pass on is interesting. Then we have the Baron, such a cool villain I was looking forward to every chapter with him in it. The fremen were also cool, every faction is great in this book.

I was dreading starting on this despite having bought the book a while back, but it was a more engaging read than I thought it would be. It's probably well known by now but I'll reiterate that this book is really complex and demands a re-read if you really want to do a deep dive into its themes and messages, but it's probably easier if you do a superficial read-through of the book (and probably the whole series) first to get a hang of the overarching plot. Nevertheless, I was not disappointed and I like the direction that this book is setting up for the rest of the series.

The long and short of the story is pretty simple. Paul Atreides is heir to House Atreides, one of the Great Houses that governs whole planets in the name of the Imperium. They are transferred from the water planet Caladan to the desert planet Arrakis, which, though nigh uninhabitable, is still a gem to the Imperium because it is the only source of melange-spice, a coveted resource that is harvested and exported for a ton of money all throughout the Imperium. However, Arrakis was previously governed by House Harkonnen, sworn enemies to the Atreides, and it's unlikely that they'd give up an actual goldmine that easily.

There is really good, nuanced, layered, and complex storytelling here. There's a ton of philosophy to be unearthed, a lot of plots within plots (that's sometimes too veiled for me to even understand), and you can really just go on deciphering this book forever. I appreciate that kind of depth in any book. When you first start the book, it immediately plunges you into the world without any “tutorial” scene, which I actually appreciate. I enjoy that level of immersion in a new world, and Herbert did a great job in writing it such that the reader is just immersed enough without being too overwhelmed. Though there was a list of terminology at the back of the book, I didn't want to refer to it at all and just let the story explain the terms to me, and I thought it did this marvelously. I was super engaged by the book in the first third, but it started dragging for me after that, ramping up again in the last maybe 20%, and only dialing it up to 11 in the last two chapters, whew.

For characters, I was generally quite bored with Paul who seems to be a pretty obvious hero/saviour type, although I'll grant that nothing in this book is really that black and white, and thus Paul doesn't quite tick off all the checkboxes for that sort of trope. But being bored with Paul was a little alarming considering this entire book pretty much revolves around him. I thought almost every other character is more interesting, but I was particularly interested in Lady Jessica, and some other female characters (Alia, Chani, and even Princess Irulan). I don't know if it's any surprise or coincidence that they're mostly major female characters.

That brings me to a huge theme that I paid a lot of attention to going in: the representation of women. I have heard a lot about that (and not exactly positive things) from some others who have attempted this book before, and had gone in really hesitant. Reading this book hasn't quite changed my mind on that, although once again I'll grant that things aren't black and white there either. There were some bits that discomfited me when reading, like when Harah was trying to offer herself up as wife to Paul after he had killed her husband, and protesting that she was "still young", or at the end when they were kinda just treating Irulan as a pawn instead of a human being, or really anytime when any woman in this book, no matter how powerful she might be, is always relegated to being either mother, lover, or wife, and never having any kind of power that doesn't have to do with those functions in relation to men.

But at the same time, the book isn't straight up female objectification and misogyny either. I liked that the female characters were often very powerful (more so than their male counterparts), and sometimes even more relatably portrayed, like Lady Jessica vs Paul. They were also more enigmatic and interesting and often didn't fit into archetypes, like Alia being a complete wild card for everyone vs Paul who is the obvious hero/saviour. I was even intrigued by Chani and Irulan more so than Paul/Feyd.

So i guess the tl;dr is that this book isn't easy reading, but it's quite likely an engaging one. It'll certainly demand multiple reads if you really want to fully understand the whole thing, but even just an initial superficial read of it is still going to be overall enjoyable and action-packed, even despite the slower sections. The female representation on this book isn't quite so straightforward, and so I'm kinda sitting on the fence on whether I enjoyed that bit or not. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm keen to visit the rest of the series, although I'll have to give myself a bit of a break first.

This is like the Lord of the Rings of science fiction. The galaxy where Dune exists is a masterpiece rich in history and lore, with political intrigue and manipulations are typical of human civilisation. Couple that with hints of religion, military lifestyles, and the concepts of honor, and the story is deeply entrenched in the reader's minds.

I've never been more conflicted on the rating of a book. I wish this was a clear-cut perfect book for me, but unfortunately, it wasn't. I loved it for the most part but there were some things that bugged and it's hard to get past them (maybe I'll get into it one day). Despite its flaws, I do understand why it's such a revered work of fiction and I guess I still count this as one of my favorites, just with an asterisk.

Let me first say that I love sci-fi, I love fantasy and I respect the place “Dune” has in the history of these genres. That said, I found the settings confusing (is it a future of interstellar travel, lasers and shields or is it a medieval fantasy of castles, dukes and sword fighting?), the characters flat and archetypal (he basically tells you who is good and who is bad at the beginning) and the “intrigue” provided no tension whatsoever (when you know who the traitor is and what bad guys plan, what's the point in reading anymore?). I think this world has some interesting potential, but I can't help but think how this story world be told/structured if it were published today. I really wanted to like this book, but I kept hoping for something bad to happen to Paul or for him to fail at something just once to break up the monotony and his one-dimensional character. My dad loved this book when he read it 40 years ago; I truly wish I could feel the same way.

3.5 out of 5 stars

It feels good to finally check this science fiction classic off of my to-read list. I was expecting a slow, dry slog, but I found Dune to be surprisingly engaging and accessible. The worldbuilding and character building are top notch and I can see why the desert planet of Arrakis is such a legendary setting. I can't say that I enjoyed every aspect of the story, but I certainly appreciate Dune's place in the Pantheon of the genre and am glad to have read it. Looking ahead, I'm excited to see how Denis Villeneuve adapts this for the big screen.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.