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Dune
Group Reads - Classic (Fiction)
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May & June 2021 Classic Group Read - Dune by Frank Herbert
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Alannah
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Apr 23, 2021 01:56AM
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Any tips on getting in to this? I tried and couldn’t stand it.
I have just looked back at my review from 5 years ago and cannot believe how blasé I was, as my memory of the book is more then my review. Hey ho, I guess we will see over the next two months.@Jennifer, keep persevering, it (and its sequels) are certainly worth it.
Jennifer wrote: "Any tips on getting in to this? I tried and couldn’t stand it."You might try reading Dune: the Graphic Novel, Book 1 first. You can find it on Hoopla. The downside is that it's a planned trilogy and only book 1 is published. Book 2 comes out in April 2022, which is a long wait! But, if you like it, the novel might be easier to get into. I watched the movie, which I don't recommend, first and was totally confused so I read the book to better understand it. I like the series but I can see where some readers might not.
I read this in high school and didn't like it. I tried it again a few years ago and discarded it, so I'll pass :). My aunt was the first to recommend it, and she only recommends well written books, but it's just not for me. I don't remember enough to discuss it, either.
Re-reading Dune after several decades brings back a lot of memories, mostly pleasant ones of immersing myself in this complex and fully imagined universe. It doesn't seem to be working out very well for my AAB friends who have commented so far, but I hope that some are enjoying it. The novel transformed science fiction. I can hardly imagine that Star Wars could have ever been a "thing" without Dune. It has been borrowed from so much, that I imagine it is hard for someone who has grown up on Star Wars and the Star Trek Movies to see the audacious novelty of the book. The opening (and I'm only a few pages into it) is more melodramatic than I remembered, but I was younger and less acquainted with the world. I am impressed by the cautionary tone with regard to "thinking machines," especially in light of the state of computers 50 years ago! (Anybody remember Fortran?) It reminds me a little of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, in that regard. I remember talking about the book with my sister, who also enjoyed it, and such memories of sharing are always precious.
I’m about half way through the book now. I’m enjoying it a lot. In general, I find the characters to be vivid, three-dimensional, and relatable. The Baron Harkonnen is a striking and thoroughly despicable villain, which is important for driving the emotional impact of the story, but, for me, I generally prefer if the nemesis in a story has SOME sympathetic quality. The characters in this story contribute to the mythic quality that the author overtly cultivates. The book is exciting and so imaginative- a great diversion from the mundane.
I'm not much of a science fiction reader but had to read this one as part of my Big Read Top 100 Challenge, which was about six years ago. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised, indeed I rated it 5 stars and as one of my favourite books ever! I was also determined to read more in the series but, to my dismay, have not read any further ones yet - something I must do!!
This was one of the books that got me into Science Fiction along with Stranger In A Strange Land and The Foundation Series by Asimov. I still read a lot of SciFi today. I loved the World building in this.
Loved this re-read. Had forgotten so much about the machievellan politics and the Islamic influence on the Freman culture. Will definitely bear re-reading again at some point.
