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Apr 06, 2009

Terence rated it:

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Nov 17, 2010

Matthew rated it:

After tens of thousands of years, the theme of ultimate prophetic prediction, spice (i.e. water/oil) dependence, universal religious programming, not to mention a great primer on behind-the-scenes political activities, comes to a close. and what a perfect way to bring this series to an end. Well worth the devotion, this series follows one genetic line with supra-sensory perceptions which gave birth to a messianic figure and his son, whom became a galactic tyrant in the name of progress, nay, of More...

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Aug 12, 2009

najla rated it:

i think i read the first book when i was 12, and for some reason got the idea in my head that i should read the whole lot in rapid succession. well, the rapid didn't happen so much, and i am grateful that i am five pages away from concluding my brief, but friendly affair with mr. herbert. you know when you begin to go on dates with someone that has been an intermittent and casual friend? you think, well, they seem perfectly nice, reasonably intelligent, compelling conversationalist, let's try. b More...

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Jul 27, 2009

Eric rated it:

Frank Herbert's last Dune novel suffers from the same flaws as Heretics of Dune. One that I didn't mention in my review of that novel, but which certainly applies to both, is the lack of a character to care about. In the first four Dune books, Leto, Paul, and Leto II provide central figures whose rises and falls the reader becomes invested in.

None of the characters in Heretics or Chapterhouse stand out in that same way. The fact that almost every character is a Bene Gesserit, trai More...

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Oct 18, 2007

Tom rated it:

Chapterhouse: Dune marks the final installment in Frank Herbert's original Dune Chronicles (though the story continues through another six prequels and two final sequels written by his son, Brian Herbert).

Set twenty or so years after the events in Heretics of Dune, readers may now follow the final confrontation between hyper-sexualized and dominating "Honored Matres," vs. the Rasputian, scheming Bene Gesserit, for control of the old empire and the fate of humanity (though More...

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Jan 17, 2009

Spike rated it:

I have a problem when a long multi-book series basically finishes with no real ending.

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 11, 2011

Jeff rated it:

Scott Brick is a fine reader and I've been a Dune fan since discovering the first three novels back in the '70's. But Chapterhouse Dune just doesn't capture my interest like I thought it would. The peripheral action and characters are more interesting than the main thread.

The description of the stolen No Ship, Uxal's horrible predicament with the Face Dancers and the Mother Commander, the increasingly and inevitably threatened position of the Spacing Guild, the remaking of Chapterhou More...

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Apr 07, 2011

Jeremy rated it:

This is the second half (well, part 2 of 3, really) of the arc started in Heretics. I think it's actually a stronger book than Heretics too - less scattered, more time spent developing the characters, and the stakes are clearly higher.

It also displays its Reagan-era politics pretty obviously, which made me roll my eyes at least once, but there's also some commentary on the all-consuming nature of bureaucracy that are definitely relevant to modern times. The Honored Matres are develo More...

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Nov 19, 2010

Felix rated it:

Well, Herbert stuffed it again. This sixth and final installment of his epic and usually brilliant Dune series is the waffling wank God Emperor of Dune is, totally avoiding all the awesomeness advances his plot and characters made during Heretics of Dune. In fact the plot doesn't even begin until two thirds of the way through the book, the first 250 pages comprising smug introspective dialogues between pompous pseudo-characters. When stuff finally does begin to happen, the war between the all-fe More...

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Nov 07, 2009

John rated it:

*Same review for the Dune Universe*
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!

Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...

2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 03, 2010

Bryan rated it:

The Classic Dune Series Concludes...: Chapterhouse Dune (book six) concludes one of the best science-fiction series of all time. This final novel of the series is primarily concerned with the Bene Gesserit and their battle against imminent extinction. As a result of the God Emperor's impact on the future of humanity, the Bene Gesserit face their demise from a powerful new foe. This final novel is one of the most powerful of the series and the ending (although left as somewhat of a cliffhanger) i More...

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Aug 17, 2009

Gabe rated it:

I am a reader who sometimes enjoys books that make me work hard. This book (this series) is one of those. I loved it, but I fully understand that not everyone will.

In addition to being one of the greatest science fiction sagas ever, the Dune Chronicles were a massive sociological "thought experiment" on Herberts part, and I for one am thankful he had the time to share his thoughts with us. These books (especially the later ones) are the kind you have to put down from time t More...

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Jan 18, 2012

Seth rated it:

one of the best in the series. definitely fulfills a lot that felt unfulfilled in the previous book. it was refreshing to not have a thousand year gap in between two of the books again. you get the same characters back on a large scale for the first time since book two went into book three.

there is a helluva cliff hanger, and frank herbert died before he could write the next chapters. i'm very tempted to read books 7 and 8 by his son brian and kevin j. anderson, but i have my doubts. More...

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Mar 16, 2011

Kevin rated it:

The grande finale of the whole of Frank Herbert's six Dune novels. Interesting ending (were the old couple actually god and his wife?), although it leaves many unanswered questions and various loose threads - which apparently his son Brian Herbert has tried to tie up in the later novels based around his Fathers notes. However I hear mixed reviews on these books. Maybe I will try and read them some other time.

The Space-Operatic original book, Dune, went very philosophical from Dune Mess More...

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Nov 17, 2011

Христо rated it:

“Дюн” на Франк Хърбърт – може би най-противоречивата фантастично-мистична сага
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/07/blog...

Месец след месец след месец… Ревюто за многологията “Дюн” на Франк Хърбърт си отлежаваше и малко по малко се насочваше към никоганаписване – така и не можах да сбера в главата си едно ясно и просто мнение за трите тома. Но книжноблогърският дълг зове и ето ме пишещ най-сетне за една от най-мащабните поредици в класическата фантастика… и най-противоречивата с More...

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Mar 15, 2011

Drew rated it:

This 6th and final book in the Dune saga that Frank Herbert wrote before his death in 1986 stands as one of the best in the entire series. Many have complained that it doesn't "go anywhere" for the first 150 pages or so, but I think it does. There are all of these seemingly unrelated plot threads that slowly but surely converge such that by the time you're halfway through the book, it all makes sense. The last half of this book is a mixture of intrigue and action that left me breathl More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 09, 2010

Andrew rated it:

If you’ve made it this far into Frank Herbert’s epic Dune series, then you know what to expect. (As an aside, if you haven’t read the preceding five books in the series, you must do so before reading this one. The beginning is the only place to start this series.) Much like Heretics of Dune and the rest before it, Chapterhouse: Dune is an ambitious look into the future, filled to the brim with cryptic dialogue, elaborate plans and pithy proverbial pronouncements.
Like some of its predecess More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 02, 2010

Justin rated it:

I mean, it was a Dune book. It was slightly better than 2 but it took a long time to pick up. I feel like it was written backwards - all the interesting plot only lasted about 150 pages or so, so there was a big parable about buracracy, leadership, and delegation inserted into the first 250 pages to flesh it out.

Unsatisfyingly, this is not the conclusion of the series. Frank planned one more to like tie it all up, but died before his notes could be turned into a book. He hid his note More...

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Jun 01, 2011

David rated it:

On December 25, 1980, I was given Frank Herbert's "Dune" as a present. Sometime around midnight that night, I finished the book. Then, and now, I had the epxereince of being enthralled by the rich, complex world that Frank Herbert created. This is the sixth and last book that he wrote in that series. The original "Dune" had a compelling plot that complemented the world Herbert dreamed up. Unfortunately, as the series progressed, plot became less of a concern.

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Jan 20, 2009

Sarah Jane added it

People usually don't get this far in the series, which is a shame. I like these last two books as much as the first two (it's the two in the middle that are a bit... odd).

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 21, 2011

Omer84 rated it:

This book was a big let down for me. I'm a true fan of Dune series read all 6 original books plus 3 books of legends (looking forward to further books done by his son and Kevin Anderson - I've liked legends), so on 9 books in world of Dune, I class this one as the worst. Now you may ask why that is so:

- There is no action at all till about last quarter of the book,
- I don't know if I'm not smart enough but for 3/4 of the book all dialog and all thoughts of main characters are s More...

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Aug 09, 2010

Peter rated it:

The biggest problem with Chapterhouse: Dune is that we never get the story Frank Herbert wanted told to conclude it. Nevertheless, the book ends in such a way that it is still satisfying.

Murbella really comes into her own here, the fascinating mixture of Bene Gesserit and Honored Matre. Dar is again a powerful force. The building menace of the threat that drove the Honored Matres back from the Scattering is intriguingly written. I would have loved to know how Frank Herbert want More...

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Dec 06, 2009

Joy rated it:

Frank Herbert's last Dune book. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood are sacrificing their own refuge planet to create another Dune. Sheeana, the girl who can talk to worms, has succeeded farther than anyone else in transplanting the great worms of Dune. Duncan Idaho, doubly imprisoned, cannot leave the no-ship stolen from the Honored Matres, but participates in the intrigues as best he can. Mother Superior Odrade, one of the few people who remembers Dune from its last days, tried to guide together the More...

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May 04, 2010

Lychee rated it:

I seem to have moved into a phase of reading the Dune series backwards. Was interesting to re-read this novel having read most (but not all) of the continuing novels written by Herbert's son. Can see evidence that some of the resolutions the son ended up with don't really match the trajectory indicated in Frank's novels. Also find Frank's writing much more complex and challenging to figure out what exactly is actually going on. I'm fascinated by the Bene Gesserit. Not sure what it means, bu More...

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Jan 06, 2010

Dylan rated it:

As a whole, this series is one of my all-time favourites. However, to paraquote Richard Houchin:

"The Dune series is remarkable in that each sequel gets progressively worse until it's almost unreadable.

The first book is truly excellent. It's mantra on fear alone makes it great.

The second book a very good sci-fi novel.

The third book is not too shabby.

The fourth book is sub-par, but still interesting.

The fifth book is More...

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Sep 08, 2009

Mark added it

This one is even more like the description of Heretics of Dune, with the addition of an even more disappointing ending. In both this and Heretics of Dune it's hard to avoid the impression that the book was not intended to stand on its own, but lengthened in the writing to the point where it turned into a novel. If Frank Herbert had survived to write another book in the series it might have really paid off well, but he did not. As it is I had to look up the book on Wikipedia when I wrote this More...

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Jan 08, 2010

Silvio rated it:

This book continues from Heretics of Dune with only a few years' break and almost the same cast of characters. Again, it focuses on the Bene Gesserit, who Honored Matres have now launched a war of extermination against. Traditional Bene Gesserit strategies don't offer much hope against Honored Matre ruthlessness. Mother Superior develops a daring plan to save the Sisterhood, which the other characters and the reader only find out about as she puts it into effect.

There's some fascin More...

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Dec 22, 2011

Jimmy rated it:

08-04-2008: The Bene Gesserit are the last enemies remaining to the Honored Matres. Odrade is desperate and devises a plan to attack the Honored Matres, with the help of Dortujla. The Bene Gesserit's first ghola is that of her father, Miles Teg. Sheeana is heading the project of the return of the sandworms. Murbella, sexually bonded to Duncan, once surviving the Agony, is a Reverend Mother. The Bene Gesserit bring an attack to the Honored Matres. Their victory seems too easy, but Teg and Odrade More...

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Oct 23, 2010

Colby rated it:

What I learned from Chapterhouse: Dune was not positive at all. The problems I had with the work is rather simple but I think it's a profound lesson. First of all the entire novel is set in on the homeworld of the Bene Gesserit. Specifically on this massive ship on the planet. That's not the problem, the problem is that nothing happens in the book. The plot is stonewalled, keeping the main characters on the planet arguing with each other over different subjects of Philosophy. So in essence the b More...

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Apr 25, 2009

Dave rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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