Dune in Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library

Apr 25, 2020 Tani rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-novels, male-author, fantasy, scifi, sff-2020, sff-explorer-2020, sff-awards-2020

Dune is a classic, and I can definitely see why. I always approach classic scifi with a bit of trepidation, but this one actually holds up surprisingly well.

The strength of Dune definitely lies in the world-building. Frank Herbert created a really detailed and interesting world in this story, and he clearly thought about the continuing impacts of that world throughout the story. The planet of Arrakis shapes this story just as much as Paul Atreides does, and I actually liked that. The ecology of Dune is a classic, and I can definitely see why. I always approach classic scifi with a bit of trepidation, but this one actually holds up surprisingly well.

The strength of Dune definitely lies in the world-building. Frank Herbert created a really detailed and interesting world in this story, and he clearly thought about the continuing impacts of that world throughout the story. The planet of Arrakis shapes this story just as much as Paul Atreides does, and I actually liked that. The ecology of the planet, with the worms and the spice, was quite interesting, and I liked seeing the impacts of that on the people in the story.

Speaking of the people, however, I was a bit dissatisfied with that aspect. Paul is ostensibly the protagonist here, but I feel like he was actually kept the most distant from the reader. His motives often felt murky to me, with strange jumps in reasoning and confusing choices. I can see that this was meant to shape Paul as a godlike figure, but I won't claim that I found it enjoyable. In fact, it made me feel a bit indifferent. Jessica was better, and I enjoyed her perspectives much more. I think I would have been much happier if we could have just stuck with her for the entire thing. The way I see it, the point of telling a story from someone's perspective is to bring you closer to them. When that doesn't happen, then what's the point of the perspective? I think it could have been a more effective storytelling technique to center everything around Paul without ever going into his head. I at least think that I would have liked it better that way.

There was also something shallow about the action of the story. I felt like the emotional content was skimmed over, in favor of just relaying events. It made everything feel quite distant to me. Even big events, especially as I neared the end of the book, felt kind of superficial. I'm hoping that this will make me more invested in the upcoming movie adaptation, but it didn't work well for me in a novel.

And no spoilers, but the ending made me very unhappy. I had been trending toward 4 stars until the last 50 pages, and the ending dropped it that one star. Just. Why? I guess if you're trying to leave a bad taste in my mouth, you've found the way to do it!

I own the next couple books in the series, so I will probably give the second book a try, and see where things go. ...more

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Dec 25, 2013 hh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reread, sff, sloreaders-fub-book-club, 2013

if you read this book, there is nothing anyone else's review could add.

this is the last time i will read my childhood copy of dune. it is falling apart as i turn its pages. the peril of rereading a book read and loved and reread and reread and even more loved over the years is the peril of confronting not only the incredible imagination and craft of the writer, but the peril of confronting the self at infinite points in time. to know that a piece of the self is in those words always. and if, as ...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Heather rated it really liked it · review of another edition

growing up, i saw the david lynch version of this book dozens of times, since it was a family favorite. for better or worse, that deeply informed my read -- this was my first time to read the actual book.

in some ways, i liked the book better. naturally it's able to be more in-depth than any movie could. there's more experiences, things not able to be properly explained in the movie, are given full breadth. some of the gross elements in the movie are left out of the book, and all for the better. ...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Carl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm going to give this 5 stars for the moment just because of it's classic status, and because it's been so long since I've read it that it's all glowy and beautiful in my memory. I believe we will be reading this for August for the sci-fi reading group I've started, so I will hopefully have a fuller review (and probably only 4 stars) in a little bit. ...more

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May 14, 2012 Peter rated it really liked it

Shelves: sciencefiction

Earns its designation as a classic. Well-wrought characters and worlds as well as interesting political/ethical/social commentary

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Sep 21, 2010 emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-movie-is-pretty-good-actually, cw-body-horror, classics, 2008-to-2010, sci-fi, favorites, bildungsroman, when-the-war-came, monsters-and-monstrosities

i really, really loved this book. the only thing that's keeping me from giving it five stars is the abruptness with which it ended. i still have to read the appendices, and honestly i want to reread the entire thing again, because i tore through it so quickly (i really couldn't put it down) i want to reread at a more leisurely pace. but it was really awesome and i loved it. ...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a book that I have heard so much about and have always wanted to read. Now that I started it I am rather excited. It is a little difficult to follow as a lot of the language is difficult, but the more I read the more it begins to come together and make sense. This may be a re-read as well.

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