Goodreads | Dune (Paperback) by Frank Herbert

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Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

09/04/08

bookshelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Read in July, 1984

Like most of my five star books, I’ve read Dune multiple times. In fact, I’d say that what makes a book more than just enjoyable and instead truly amazing is that you want to read it more than once and are rewarded for doing so. I’ve probably read Dune six times, and I’ve never gotten tired of it but my understanding of the work has increased over time.

To begin with, the first time I read Dune, I got about three pages into it, realized I didn’t understand a thing and that I was h...more Like most of my five star books, I’ve read Dune multiple times. In fact, I’d say that what makes a book more than just enjoyable and instead truly amazing is that you want to read it more than once and are rewarded for doing so. I’ve probably read Dune six times, and I’ve never gotten tired of it but my understanding of the work has increased over time.

To begin with, the first time I read Dune, I got about three pages into it, realized I didn’t understand a thing and that I was hopelessly confused. I had to go back and reread what I had read, and then go back again and reread the whole chapter. I would excuse myself by saying that I was 10, but I’m sure I’m not the only one that has had that experience. Don’t be dismayed if it happens to you - whether 10, 18, or 45. If you are confused at first, consider that Paul is also confused and finds so much that happens strange and new. Understanding will come in its proper time.

At one time at least, there was a fairly famous website (at least among geeks) that humorously summarized books in thirty words or less. Maybe it still exists, but its name escapes me. The summary provided for Dune read something like this, “I’m Frank Herbert and I’m a lot smarter than you are.” When I was younger, this would have seemed a fair appraisal of the work. One of the most central aspects of ‘Dune’ is Herbert manages to write convincingly about people whose intelligence is supposed to vastly exceed that of the reader. More than anything, to create a believable Messianic story, the writer has to create a Messiah possessing believable Messianic wisdom and insight, and Herbert succeeds at this invention probably better than any other writer. We come to believe that the protagonists do have deep and profound insight into the question of ‘Life, the Universe, and Everything’ so that we do not immediately feel cheated and we are able to believe in the characters – even someone like Maud’Dib. As I’ve gotten older, and hopefully wiser, I’ve come to see that Herbert is not in fact possessed of superhuman intelligence, but that he creates the illusion of superhuman intelligence by a variety of clever devices. The appearance of a superhuman intelligence and wisdom is really a sham and the pool is really pretty shallow, but even this revelation does not reduce the esteem in which I hold the work. It’s not Herbert’s real job to be a prophet: he’s an artist. Herbert succeeds brilliantly in what he should be judged on – the ability to paint the illusion deftly and convincingly. If we acquire the sophistication to see through it, it shouldn’t reduce our appreciation of the artistic mastery used in creating it. I think now I would amend the summary of the work to be, “I’m Frank Herbert, and I’m a lot better writer than you are.”

If all that could be said in Dune’s favor was that it had one of the most convincing invented prophets in literature, it would still be a worthwhile work. But Dune has abundant pleasures beyond the richly realized illusion of philosophical depth and even the deftly realized setting. Chief among these for me is the truly deep and intricate relationships Paul has with the other characters. There is a real depth of feeling here, and I love the way each of the complicated nuanced relationships is portrayed as we are introduced to the cast of Paul’s complicated life. Each character feels a deep mixture of feelings for Paul who is boy, man, friend, soldier, sovereign, and Messiah and much else. There is tenderness to this work. We sense that complexity and tenderness right from the start, when his mother allows him to be tortured and to face murder, and then immediately thereafter experiences profound hope and joy: “My son lives.” We feel Paul’s boyish love for his friends and companions, who are also his father’s henchmen and his teachers and who he is in turn their future Lord. We feel the more mature manly love that these companions have for their young charge and future ruler. Even Yueh loves the boy he must destroy. We feel the boyish admiration Paul has for his father as he strains to be worthy of him and to make his father proud, and we feel the returned pride and satisfaction that his father feels. We feel the aching love of a boy for this Mother when has already lost everything else when Jessica is buried in sand, and we feel her returned love when she says, “I knew you would find me.”

And though there love is only briefly on stage, still I find the love between Paul and Chani among the sweetest and most charming in literature. Who cannot thrill when scarcely knowing each other, but seeing their lives together stretching out before them both good and terrible, the young becoming but not yet lovers promise with tender vows nonetheless to be forever each others comfort and joy and they feel their hitherto unseen future becoming a real solid now. Isn’t that how it is in some way for all of us when we meet the one who will be the one and we suddenly realize we want to and we will spend the rest of our lives together regardless of what will happen? And how often have we felt the total unabashed joy as Paul does when we know our lover is now near?

“That could only mean Chani was near by—Chani, his soul, Chani his sihaya, sweet as the desert spring, Chani up from the palmaries of the deep south.”

All that and ‘Dune’ is a wonderful exciting action adventure story filled with thrills and chases, fights and battles, and supersized edge of our imagination wonders. Worms.

It’s no wonder that this is one of the best beloved books of all time. If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, read it again.
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Adam rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

09/14/08

Read in April, 2000

I've read and reread this novel across the years, and I'll continue to do so.

Dune was Frank Herbert's imagination breathed into the pages of a single book. He wrote numerous others to follow it, all of which continue to explore and flesh out the world he introduced us to in this, the first of his Dune series. The world in its pages is so vast and so rife with potential that his son, Brian, has continued in his father's footsteps, writing further explorations of the history that led up to t...more I've read and reread this novel across the years, and I'll continue to do so.

Dune was Frank Herbert's imagination breathed into the pages of a single book. He wrote numerous others to follow it, all of which continue to explore and flesh out the world he introduced us to in this, the first of his Dune series. The world in its pages is so vast and so rife with potential that his son, Brian, has continued in his father's footsteps, writing further explorations of the history that led up to this book.

Dune introduces its readers to a planet called Arrakis, a desert world populated only by the occasional smuggler, swarthy profiteer, and a mysterious, scattered, and ferocious race of humans known as the Fremen. Arrakis is known and recognized in the universe only due to its primary and sole export: a highly addictive, mind and reality-altering drug called the Spice. Spice has made the relative backwater planet of Arrakis a point of universal focus, with collection and supply of the drug of utmost importance to millions. This collection, however, is hampered by Arrakis' only large (and I do mean "large") native life-form, massive, eyeless, impervious creatures referred to (in awe, loathing, and terror) as "worms". Spice production is an incredibly dangerous business, as worms are drawn to any sound upon the sand. They "hear" the vibration of anything that moves across the sand-washed surface of the planet, responding quickly and with deadly ferocity, tearing apart and/or swallowing whole entire ships, large machinery, or, if you're stupid or unlucky enough to be stuck out there solo on the sand, the occasional human being.

The elite of the universe, whom Herbert has crafted within a highly detailed, incredibly complex social structure and political strata, view Spice both as a luxury and a necessity, craving its affects both because they love it and because they must have it once they become addicted. Travel between planets is restricted to ships staffed and propelled by the Guild, ruthless interstellar businessmen who have taken Spice-addiction to a high unlike that ever experienced by others: they use Spice to literally bend space and time, moving spaceships, goods, and anything else that is paid for from here to there in the blink of an eye. They too rely on Spice for everything they stand for.

Throw into this mix an interstellar order of monastic witches called the Bene Gesserit (who through gene manipulation across thousands of years have sought to fulfill an age-old prophecy of a girl-child who would become one who could change and control the universe), and things get even more interesting.

This book is thick with treason, passion, wickedly intense political and familial warfare, complex social and spiritual explorations, and profound mystery. Herbert doesn't just create his own world with the Dune series: he creates a singular universe, an existence within which his own faiths and religions profoundly affect and shape his version of what humans will one day become. It's an amazing book, and I encourage you to read the others that follow, as well. They get more and more bizarre and utterly unique as they progress, but all are satisfying experiences.

Before I read this book, I saw the 1980's movie adaption, featuring the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Patrick Stewart, Sean Young, and even an uncredited minor appearance by David Lynch. As a result, reading this book afterward was filtered through the visual and representational understandings/interpretations offered to me by the film. This was both a good and bad thing. The movie leaves out and simplifies a ridiculous amount of the subtle, many-layered wonders of Herbert's world, and does disservice at times to the characters Herbert created. As a sci-fi escape from reality, however, I didn't mind the movie at all.

Read the book, and then watch the film if you can find it.
Primarily, however, read the book....less

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Donovan rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

10/25/07

Read in March, 2007

recommends it for: anyone who thinks they love StarWars

I had never read Dune. I can’t put my finger on exactly why I hadn’t read it; although, I do have a nebulous memory of picking it up and not being able to get in to it. I know for a fact that I’d read the closing line previously, which is something I never do prior to reading a book; so that is really odd, perhaps it was quoted in either the movie or the miniseries.

I do know people, a surprising number of people, who give Dune an almost Biblical reverence. It isn’t a se...more I had never read Dune. I can’t put my finger on exactly why I hadn’t read it; although, I do have a nebulous memory of picking it up and not being able to get in to it. I know for a fact that I’d read the closing line previously, which is something I never do prior to reading a book; so that is really odd, perhaps it was quoted in either the movie or the miniseries.

I do know people, a surprising number of people, who give Dune an almost Biblical reverence. It isn’t a selective grouping either. A totally random swath of people I’ve known have considered Dune to have had a very formative role in their growth; one, in particular, credits it with her move away from conservative religion. It is a really big deal to some people.

While I don’t feel like reading Dune changed my life, I did really enjoy it. I suspect I partially enjoyed it just due to contrast. I felt so unstimulated by the Foundation Trilogy that I was thrilled to read something where a “hero” was doing something. It allowed for the “I can change the world” fantasy transposition of reader and main character that I was missing in the Foundation books. I think that having a cast of characters who are active in the whole of the book was an important factor in drawing me into the story.

I also enjoyed it for the richness of the world. That’s where most of the “science” in this fiction was found, and I find myself more drawn to science as I mature. [In fact, I have been disappointed thus far; I want more science, less fiction.:] I have to constantly remind myself while reading through the books on this list that these were, presumably, the first books to use these concepts. Frank Herbert made a universe, complete, from Space Guild to sand plankton. Even after years of reading other stories by authors who have done the same, I can still appreciate the depth of thought and idea behind Arrakis and its surrounding universe. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book which had as great a handle on the ecology of the world in which is was set; if I were pressed, I can only think of Grass by Sherri S. Tepper as coming close.

Equally impressive was his treatment of religion. I especially liked the appendices, which moved even deeper into the evolution of religion over time. Herbert’s answer to how religion [and culture:] evolved over the millennia[s:] since “Old Earth” is similar in concept to the answer Joss Whedon gave with Firefly. Herbert saw the future as blend of Middle Eastern and Western ways; Whedon’s future is China/America. Being that his focus was religious as opposed to say, economic, this is understandable. It may even have been more base than that. Possibly he chose that direction because Arrakis is most similar to our desert regions where Islam originated, but I think it has more to do with cultural impact than mere climatic coincidence.

I think one of the strongest elements is the writing itself. It’s very well written. Although I had been exposed to 2 movie versions of Dune prior to reading it, almost none of the previous imagery colored my mental image of what the characters and settings were supposed to look like. Weaker writing would have easily allowed my perceptions to be molded by the theatrical versions. I really hate when that happens. I don’t even know how I used to imagine Harry Potter looking before the movies came out. If Paul Atreides looks like anyone in my head that I’ve seen visually, I’d tell you he looks like this kid I went to school with [coincidentally named Paul Strange:] [anybody remember that kid?:] albeit much more attractive.

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Cassidy rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

05/05/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: People with flexibly discerning taste, and who don't mind a lot of glossary checks..

Frank Herbert
Dune
Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1965
pp. 483 (without appendices and glossary), 539 (with app. and glos.), unpriced
ISBN: N/A

Commonly billed as the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, Dune, an expansive tale of intrigue, religion, and human nature set in a semi-recursive far future, is looked upon fondly by newcomers and diehard genre addicts alike. Even without its innumerable critical acclaims, the novel is counted amongst all circles as an irr...more Frank Herbert
Dune
Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1965
pp. 483 (without appendices and glossary), 539 (with app. and glos.), unpriced
ISBN: N/A

Commonly billed as the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, Dune, an expansive tale of intrigue, religion, and human nature set in a semi-recursive far future, is looked upon fondly by newcomers and diehard genre addicts alike. Even without its innumerable critical acclaims, the novel is counted amongst all circles as an irreplaceable cornerstone of modern speculative fiction. In fact, with its five sequels, three prequels, two spinoff series (and one more in development), two companion books, and numerous adaptations for media both static and interactive, Dune seems to be less a book in and of itself, and more akin to the desert spring at the heart of an oasis, a wellspring of creative energy upon which dozens of children feed. However, it is another aspect of Dune that is to serve as the basis upon which this review shall grow to fruition. The widespread influence and propagation of the concepts in Dune were made possible by the inclusion of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of cultural, historical, political, spiritual, and scientific details, scattered throughout the work and supporting its storyline. Dune itself acts far less as a novel than as a massive encyclopedia entry, a well-crafted chronicle of Herbert's imagined world and its myriad facets well-masked by a beautifully crafted, but ultimately ancillary, story.
The narrative of Dune is marvelous, rivaling that of many a better-critiqued author's magnum opus, and the characters, plot, and language are undeniably crafted as well as almost any other novel. However, the setting, in all its splendiferous nature and abyssal depth, is the main focus of the novel, the sole axis upon which the story-wheel turns its ponderous revolution. The main character, Paul, and his mother, Jessica, are an illicit trainee and a legitimate student, respectively, of the Bene Gesserit, an "ancient school of mental and physical training established primarily for female students" (Herbert 10/x), whose interests extend into the realms of political manipulation of the various Noble Houses composing the Imperium, religious engineering, and the use of precise bloodline manipulation to create the Kwisatz Haderach, "a male Bene Gesserit whose organic mental powers will bridge space and time" (Herbert 18/xviii). This sisterhood's existence stems from upon the outlawing of thinking machines and humanoid robots by the Butlerian Jihad, a pan-galactic religious movement which also produced the Mentat, a "class of Imperial citizens trained for supreme accomplishments of logic" (Herbert 20/xx); amongst the Mentat is counted Thurfir Hawat, under whom Paul (who may well be the Kwisatz Haderach) trains in addition to his mother and Duncan Idaho, a swordsman who teaches him to use the kindjal, a weapon bearing similarities to the crysknife, which is wielded by the Fremen, descendants of the Zensunni Wanderers and natives of the planet Dune... and so it goes. Every event, every personage, every act, even the most minor aspect imaginable, is a window into the vast backstory of the universe concocted in the alchemical labs of the author's imagination.
Even the writing style is possessed of many qualities of historically referential literature: it is succinct and dry without a hint of dullness; it utilizes a very particular form of figurative language that, while very evocative, is terse and short in presentation; and it depicts concurrent events, both physical and psychological (and there are many psychological events), with equivalent form and verve as it describes acts long since passed. In addition, the novel takes pleasure in self-referential historicalness, beginning each chapter, as it does, with an excerpt from any one of numerous fictitious book, which are themselves analytical delineations on the very events and characters featured in the novel itself. With this simple device, Herbert lends still more credibility, not merely to the legendary status of the story itself, but to the profundity of the world in which said occurrences take place.
In short, it is pure folly to so much as attempt to make the case that Herbert put little thought into either the novel's gloriously crafted storyline or its expansive universe. Each is as important as the other in the context of his novel, in contrast to many others that end up striking a horrifically uneven balance between setting and narrative. Dune has most certainly earned its place in science fiction history, for innumerable reasons in addition to its meshing of place and events, and it comes highly recommended to any who dare test the waters of such an enthralling limpid pool of refreshing novelty, a novelty still very much applicable over 40 years after its publication....less

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John rated it:

(review of isbn 0441172717)

06/24/07

Read in December, 2006

recommends it for: Science fiction readers, fantasy readers, speculative fiction readers

No one should argue the importance Dune. It laid the foundations for a great deal of the themes and constructs in modern science fiction. Frank Herbert was as important to the genre as Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clarke. Unfortunately, just like them, he's quite dated, and his books can be a labor to read. One thing he maintained from old science fiction was prim and scientific dialogue that no one would ever actually speak. I've known many scientists, and they don't talk like this. You're no...more

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Banzai rated it:

(review of isbn 0441013597)

07/29/07

Read in January, 2000

I guess I'm one of the few that bridge the gap between the Pride and Prejudice camp and the Dune camp. I loved both.

Dune isn't a light, enjoyable read. At times it reads more like excerpts from geology, ecology, zoology, sociology, pscyhology, and political textbooks. The characters are more like mega-archetypes than real human beings.

The appeal of Dune is peculiar. In order to enjoy Dune you have to enjoy complexity. All authors create little worlds in their stories but Herbert created ...more I guess I'm one of the few that bridge the gap between the Pride and Prejudice camp and the Dune camp. I loved both.

Dune isn't a light, enjoyable read. At times it reads more like excerpts from geology, ecology, zoology, sociology, pscyhology, and political textbooks. The characters are more like mega-archetypes than real human beings.

The appeal of Dune is peculiar. In order to enjoy Dune you have to enjoy complexity. All authors create little worlds in their stories but Herbert created a world.

He doesn't just say that Arrakis is a desert planet, he engrosses himself and the reader into the geology.

He puts people on the planet, governments, conflicting cultures, conflicting religions, conflicting ways of life that are thought out to the Nth level above and beyond anything else I've ever read. You could write a sociology or politics dissertation on the societal relations Herbert conceived for Dune.

Now is complexity itself a thing to be admired in a work of fiction? Generally no, but Dune is so immense and so detailed that it creates and inhabits a category of its own. The very fact that it often reads more like a National Geographic article than a sci-fi novel speaks to its peculiar charm.

Admittedly, this will not appeal to everyone. In fact, odds are that it will appeal to hardly anyone. But limited appeal should in no way factor into a work's quality. Compare the Academy Award-winning films against the yearly box office numbers if you don't agree. I'm sure Armaggeddon outgrossed Monster's Ball.

And amidst all this complexity lies a kind of new myth that blends mysticism, religion, and crass real-world politics. It's a hybrid; it's not The Odyssey and it's certainly not Star Wars but I do find great appeal in its particular take on Campbell's hero's journey. And the fact that it plumbs the intricacies of Muslim/Arab/desert culture adds another layer of exotic flair to the work.

As if all that wasn't ambitious enough, it even articulates a fascinatingly dark but pragmatic destiny for humanity as a whole.

And all of these incredibly ambitious elements are all tightly woven together. Take out one element and the story loses its cohesion. Despite all the ridiculous amounts of detail there is nothing extraneous in this novel.

Dune is a remarkable, magnificent accomplishment. But it's okay if it's not to your taste....less

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Ginnie rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

10/08/08

bookshelves: sci-fi, treasure

Read in January, 1975

Sine qua non - all science fiction with an environmental and religious hook started here. Interesting back story in The Writer's Almanac for October 8, 2008 about Frank Herbert. "...he got asked to write a feature article about an ecological project: a government-sponsored project to halt the spread of sand dunes on the Oregon coast. Herbert was so fascinated by this topic that he ended up with way too much material and never wrote the article. But he kept researching for six years...more

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Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

10/11/07

Read in January, 1984

recommends it for: Everybody

This is the best book ever written. Cerebrally stimulating for anyone. When we attempt to understand why entertainment of this caliber (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars) and mass appeal (Harry Potter) resonates so strongly with us, many are quick to utilize Jungian archetypes to support such effects.

I haven't heard it said for this novel and for good reason, I believe. Herbert didn't draw upon existing archetypes to flesh out his story, He created completely different new ones. Herbert's...more This is the best book ever written. Cerebrally stimulating for anyone. When we attempt to understand why entertainment of this caliber (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars) and mass appeal (Harry Potter) resonates so strongly with us, many are quick to utilize Jungian archetypes to support such effects.

I haven't heard it said for this novel and for good reason, I believe. Herbert didn't draw upon existing archetypes to flesh out his story, He created completely different new ones. Herbert's vision was such that in his far-flung future, not only did he imagine how technological and socio-economic circumstances might change, which are defining factors for the SF genre, he drafted how consciousness itself would evolve. The characters in Dune may resemble some sort of Jungian / Campbellian hero vs. anti-hero but, their actions, thought patterns and mannerisms are effected by 10 thousand years of evolution. The same amount of time has elapsed since we as Cro-magnon stepped on the recently thawed lands as the last ice-age receded.

Herbert is able to draft these neo-humans not in a different, alienating light either. There is much in these characters that is to be admired, envied and adored. Paul Atreides, the main crux and fulcrum of the novel, is attempting to follow a dangerous path in life as he finds he has the choice to evolve even further to what very well may be a 'godhead.' Fueled by revenge for his father and hounded by his enemies and the very environment that surrounds him, he plays with fire as he discovers new found powers his perceptions of the universe offer him.

Guiding him is his mother, Jessica. She is the bound concubine of Duke Leto, Paul's father and a powerful priestess in a secretive sisterhood, the Bene Gesseret. She guides Paul to his new found provenance by instructing him in the secret ways of mind and body control espoused by the sisterhood. They both are refugees on the intolerable planet Arrakis, or Dune, where no rain falls and the planet is swathed in inhospitable dessert. They find unlikely allies in the Fremen, indigenous peoples of the dessert who live by hard means and hard ways.

All of this is surrounded by a backdrop of plausible political intrigue and complicated detante, certain morality tales and sub themes and action - that in perfect Herbert Style - hits the ground running.

If you have seen the David Lynch movie version or perhaps the sc-fi channel's mini-series adaptation, I still recommend you read this book. I would gather that about 85% of what occurs in the novel is purely cerebral and cannot be expressed visually. Besides, how could anyone hand over the muscal them for Muad `Dib, the Kwisatz Haderach to some washed up band like Toto? (Although, I do have to admit they did a good job of it.)

You should read this book!! If you don't own a copy, or do not intend on buying one. Get a hold of me and I will send you one....less

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Rodrigo rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

06/13/07

bookshelves: theinnercircle

Read in January, 1995

recommends it for: everyone

I cannot imagine the life without Dune. But more importantly, I probably would not understand life without Dune.

I had the pleasure or reading Dune when I was fifteen, the same age as its protagonist, Paul Atreides. At fifteen, Paul is the son of Duke Atreides, who has been sent by the Emperor of the Known Universe to Arrakis, or Dune, a desert planet that is the only source of this future society's necessity: melange, the geriatric spice. The spice extends a user's lifespan and imparts th...more I cannot imagine the life without Dune. But more importantly, I probably would not understand life without Dune.

I had the pleasure or reading Dune when I was fifteen, the same age as its protagonist, Paul Atreides. At fifteen, Paul is the son of Duke Atreides, who has been sent by the Emperor of the Known Universe to Arrakis, or Dune, a desert planet that is the only source of this future society's necessity: melange, the geriatric spice. The spice extends a user's lifespan and imparts the ability to see the future. It is used by Spacing Guild navigators, mutated by their addiction to the spice, to foresee the path of interstellar ships as they fold space to travel between worlds. It is also used by a secretive cult of women known as the Bene Gesserit to unlock abilities in their minds and bodies, including direct access to the memories of their female ancestors reaching back to the dawn of humanity. And it is one of these Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers who in the opening pages of the novel reveals to Paul that he may be the result of a millenia-long breeding program designed to produce the Kwisatz Haderach; a male who possesses all the abilities of a Reverend Mother and has the ability to see the future unaided by the spice. Dune follows the story of Paul's migration to Arrakis, the betrayal of his father by the Emperor, Paul's escape and integration into Fremen society, and his rise to power and eventual takeover of the Imperial Throne.

Laid out like this, the book appears a common space epic melodrama. However, it is impossible to describe Dune merely in terms of plot and characters. There are two aspects which dominate the novel and set it apart from other works even in its own genre: subject matter(s) and style.

Considered "soft" science fiction because it never gets too technical about its technology, Dune's interstellar society is so alien to our own that it might as well be straight-up fantasy. But it would be a mistake to call Dune vague. In any given conversation, a discussion will touch on politics, religion, economics, history, literature, music, architecture, or psychology without missing a beat. This familiarity acts as a prism that lends credibility to the more fantastic elements such as prescience abilities and space "folding."

The novel's prose is arguably its defining factor. Herbert's writing is an acquired taste; aggressively immediate and detailed, it will jump from a character's self-analysis to scenes of exquisite violence with indifference. Fortunately Dune is anchored by Paul, whose pain at the choices he must make tears at the reader who knows him as a kind boy in the beginning.

Overall, Dune is a fascinating book that explores what it is to be human, or rather what it could mean. The most human of all the books in the series, it is Frank Herbert's magnum opus....less

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Karen rated it:

(review of isbn 044100590X)

02/29/08

Read in February, 2008

I've read this before and liked it; several portions stick vividly in my mind but I never read the rest of the series. I still don't expect to read the rest of the series, but my friend just read it and has brought it up a few times in conversation so when they had it on the "Librarians' Picks" shelf at the--guess where?!--library I grabbed it.

ADDED FEBRUARY 26:
The book has some odd characteristics of the writing that I am overlooking in favor of the story. I don't like the rapid...more I've read this before and liked it; several portions stick vividly in my mind but I never read the rest of the series. I still don't expect to read the rest of the series, but my friend just read it and has brought it up a few times in conversation so when they had it on the "Librarians' Picks" shelf at the--guess where?!--library I grabbed it.

ADDED FEBRUARY 26:
The book has some odd characteristics of the writing that I am overlooking in favor of the story. I don't like the rapid jumps of point of view. I also think the "insights" provided by the jump into a character's thoughts are quite obvious and a poor strategy for alerting the reader of character motivations. It's actually kind of bad writing. But it gets better as the book progresses and more happens within each chapter to one or two characters only. I'm at Part II and the writing has improved tremendously.

I do think it's funny how little bits of "I'm writing in 1965" slip into what is a remarkably timeless story. One character consults a wrist watch, and it's called a wrist watch. They watch instructional films. There's an evil homosexual in power, which is supposed to be a radical idea the way it's presented. I am very impressed, however, with the way the powerful Bene Gessirit (sp?) women are presented as just being powerful without any of the "I Am Woman" overtones that appear in 1970s and 1980s post-ERA fiction. Perhaps it matters that a man is writing and lacks the outrage and indignation of the oppressed and does not exaggerate what women could accomplish if given the chance. He just presents them as a sect with influence everywhere that pass knowledge and information through female bloodlines. They are neither earth goddessy nor particularly nurturing nor acting exactly like men. It's very modern and quite prescient. I'm impressed.

ADDED FEBRUARY 28:
I dunno. The book petered out for me in part three. Maybe I'm just being harsh on books this month, but I couldn't keep track of it anymore. Nothing happened but you had to just keep reading. I think I got sick of all the telepathy and prescience. The paranormal is fine but everything was explained as known in some psychic way. No one ever did anything except look into future timelines and pick the one where you weren't dead or someone else was dead and then stuff happened with that result. It was like eating dinner from a pill in Willy Wonka. There'd be these comments from a character along the lines of "let's go kill all those hundreds of slaves now" and "we just killed six thousand people outside"--huge events mentioned in passing. If you have to mention something like that at all, shouldn't there be a scene detailing it? That's excitement, not wisdom gained by psychically uploading the wisdom of ten people older than you.

I remember really liking this book the first time I read it and now I don't remember why. Maybe it's because of all the jihad and bourkas and desert nomads in the book. I think we're Islamed out lately. I really would rather have started with the part where the Fremen were doing real work to transform the planet, but I already got that in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy (interestingly, another book/s with direct tributes to Islam).

I guess in the end I don't care that much about courtly intrigue and want the book to be about something else. That's not the author's fault, I suppose....less

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Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0441172717)

01/31/08

bookshelves: science-fiction

Read in January, 2008

When I was a kid, I tried about a dozen times to get through this book. My mom loved it, so I figured I'd give it a try, but this book definitely has a high learning curve and I had low patience.

Years later, of course, when I knew something more about politics, religion, science and life in general, I raced through the book - I devoured it. It's a fantastic work, well deserving of its place in the science fiction pantheon. The movies are good too, though if I could find a way to cross-breed ...more When I was a kid, I tried about a dozen times to get through this book. My mom loved it, so I figured I'd give it a try, but this book definitely has a high learning curve and I had low patience.

Years later, of course, when I knew something more about politics, religion, science and life in general, I raced through the book - I devoured it. It's a fantastic work, well deserving of its place in the science fiction pantheon. The movies are good too, though if I could find a way to cross-breed Lynch's version with the version done on the Sci-Fi channel, I think we might actually be able to come to something that really looks like what Herbert wrote. Unfortunately the novel is so dense and so complex that any attempt to put it on-screen is going to fall short.

For the two or three of you who don't know the story, know this: it is the year 10,191. The universe is ruled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, my fath - DAMN YOU DAVID LYNCH!

Sorry, got caught up there for a moment. The Universe is ruled by an Emperor, and governed by planetary noble houses. For those with the resources to do so, travel within the empire is instantaneous, from one corner of the universe to the other. The Spacing Guild, with their space-bending Navigators, hold society together. What gives the Navigators their power is the Spice, and that can only be found on Arrakis. On Dune.

House Harkonnen, a bloodline of deception, pain and malice, has been removed from Arrakis, replaced by the good and noble House Atreides. Duke Leto the Just is set over the planet, and would probably rule with kindness and generosity. But kindness and generosity don't make money, and there are plans within plans within plans, all of which are bent on destroying the Atreides. But what the Emperor and his servants cannot know is the role that the Duke's son, Paul, will play in re-shaping the entire order of the universe.

There. Now go read.

There are more books, sequels to this, but most sources tell me that they're disappointing....less

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Brooke rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

09/13/08

bookshelves: 2008

Read in September, 2008

I've never given a book 5 stars instantly upon finishing it. My 5-star favorites became favorites after they had time to stick around in my mind for a year or so while my devotion to them grew. It's entirely possible Dune will join them in the future, but right now it's hard to tell. If I could, I would give it 4.5 for now.

Dune has the qualities that a lot of my favorites have. It's an epic, sprawling story with its own vocabulary, a fully-realized world and deep characters. Like a lot of bo...more

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TeraD rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

07/22/08

bookshelves: all-time-favorites, fantasy

Read in July, 2008

Dune is a fantastic book. The confusion of the first few pages as you enter a new world quickly dissipates as you feel yourself drawn in and understanding begin to seep from the pages of the story. The imagery is amazing, the attention to detail enthralling and the characters deep and well-developed. This easily fits into my group of most favorite books.

A section of the story that I really enjoyed was the mention of Heisenberg. The reader is engulfed in this alien world and suddenly there i...more Dune is a fantastic book. The confusion of the first few pages as you enter a new world quickly dissipates as you feel yourself drawn in and understanding begin to seep from the pages of the story. The imagery is amazing, the attention to detail enthralling and the characters deep and well-developed. This easily fits into my group of most favorite books.

A section of the story that I really enjoyed was the mention of Heisenberg. The reader is engulfed in this alien world and suddenly there is reference to something in recent history. It pulled me out of my reverie as I was reading, jolted me actually. It is during the time that Jessica and Paul have been discovered in the caves by the Fremen and Paul meets Chanti from his dreams. The lines from the story states, "A kind of Heisenberg indeterminacy intervened...". This was actually a great comparison to Paul's inability to completely pinpoint time, the fact that his visions flowed from past, present and future, but left him without the capability to exactly pinpoint in which time they were. This coincides with Heisenberg's "uncertainty principle" which theorizes that locating a particle in a small region of space makes it impossible to determine the certainty of the velocity of the particle; and conversely, that measuring the velocity of a particle precisely makes the position uncertain. Time can never accurately be measured. I found it rather shrewd that Herbert threw Heisenberg's name in there to begin with as Heisenberg was in the employ of the Nazi's and that in itself is representative of the oppressive similarities between the Fremen and the Jews.

This striking bit of intellectuality is just one example of the amazing intelligence behind the writing of this book. This intellect is further emphasized by Herbert's capability to create his novel from articles and ideas written about and visits to the sand dunes of Florence, Oregon where scientists were working on slowing down the growth of these dunes and the feared encroachment into local cities and highways. The brilliant vision of Herbert morphed this real problem into a whole book centered around ecology and the human ability to survive through adaptation and education....less

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Jacob added it (review of isbn 0340839937)

02/10/08

If this isn't a formative text, then I don't know what is. I figure evangelicals have the bible, and usually a regressive translation at that, while my family had weird science fiction novels. One that all ten of my brothers and sisters read was Dune. It's true. I grew up in a large family. A sprawling sort of California family of Hippie-Hillbillies positioned precariously on the edge of the continent that seemed to be positioning itself to dump us all into the ocean. We had a small herd of goat...more

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Keely rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

07/01/07

bookshelves: novel, sci-fi

People often forget that this series is what innovated our modern concept of science fiction (up until Neuromancer and The Martix, at least). Dune took the Space Opera and asked if it might be more than spandex, dildo-shaped rockets, and scantily-clad green women. Herbert created a vast and complex system of ancient spatial politics and peoples, then set them at one another's throats over land, money, and drugs.

Dune is often said to relate to Sci Fi in the same way that Tolkien relates to Fa...more

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Katie rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

04/09/07

Read in December, 2006

I've loved science fiction my whole life, but I was finally told that I couldn't call myself a SF fan if I hadn't read Dune. So I read it. I know Dune is worshipped as a paragon of groundbreaking SF, I can witness and acknowledge Herbert's genius, and I can understand that when it was written it was certainly seminal, but I still don't think much of it.

Aside from Herbert's horribly annoying use of 3rd-person-omnipotent viewpoint, he's just not a good writer. For clarification: he's a fant...more

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Exparrot rated it:

(review of isbn 0340839937)

09/06/07

Read in January, 2003

recommends it for: anyone who enjoys a good intense Scifi novel

To be honest, I only decided to read the series when I, by chance, saw the 1984 Dune movie on TV. Mayhap I was curious to see people riding on gigantic worms, so I went straight away to my local Borders to check out the book. It took me a few days to finish the first book, but I was defintely hooked. I'll admit that the socio-political undertones kind of bogged down the story plot for me, but I loved how intricate Frank Herbert had developed his outer space human society and the its culture. The...more

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