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Advice needed for reading Dune.
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So, I haven’t read Dune in 30 years, but I did it without appendices. Since my teenage self could follow along without them I suspect you can too.
Theresa wrote: "I am starting to read Dune for my IRL Feminerdy Book Club's January discussion. Crazy as this sounds, I will be alternating it with A Suitable Boy which I need to finis..."I never read the appendices. If you are going to read them, I think it would be best to read at the end. Herbert pretty much explains everything you need to know in the main text.
Theresa wrote: "I am starting to read Dune for my IRL Feminerdy Book Club's January discussion. Crazy as this sounds, I will be alternating it with A Suitable Boy which I need to finis..."I also read it without the appendices when I was much younger. I reread it recently and found that a new introduction and the afterward written by his son were interesting reflections on the book's enduring value. If you want more of the Dune universe when you finish reading I'd recommend the appendices over any of the sequels.
Theresa wrote: "I am starting to read Dune for my IRL Feminerdy Book Club's January discussion. Crazy as this sounds, I will be alternating it with A Suitable Boy which I need to finis..."I agree with Johanne regarding skipping the appendixes. There is enough online that if you don't understand a word like melange you can find the answer without reading the appendix. There is a good graphic novel on Dune, too, if this would help.
Just wanted to commiserate how hard November and December can feel when you are trying to tie up the year with all the challenges, and still keep up with your IRL Book Club. Somehow, this year, I am not in a panic. I do need to finish my current book, so that I can start and finish my IRL Book Cub book for next Sunday night. But when I do, that is my Fly the Skies book, and last challenge finisher for the year! So everything else is gravy for the vaca, and I can even take some of the pile of owned books and leave them in airports or for my mother.That said, I would be bored by Dune too. Wouldn't be able to get through it, so I also wouldn't bother with the appendices. I would simply hope for the best.
I agree with the others - forget the appendices. It’s better to learn the detail through immersing yourself in the story - the novelty and puzzle of it is part of the charm. You can always read them later if you want more
Great. This fits with my instincts. I can also stream the movie if need be to help me. @John - I actually want to read the graphic version, but it is only a third of the book. Two more volumes are to come to cover entire book. That will be a future exploration.
I abandoned this book 15 years ago then saw the movie. The movie helped immerse me into the world and politics so I felt more confident, and less intimidated to read the book. This worked for me, you could try that.
I feel like this book, although a chonk boy, is action packed and it really never lets up so I've found it to be quite propulsive.
I did it on audio back when I was working and had that long commute each day.
Book Concierge wrote: "I did it on audio back when I was working and had that long commute each day."I ended up listening to audio, too. I just couldn't stay motivated to get through it otherwise.
Audio is the last format that would motivate me! In fact, it likely would guaranty I don't read it!There are very few books I DNF. This is one of those, but my last attempt was about 30 years ago when I had zero SciFi reading behind me. I have at this point read enough SciFi to, I believe, actually read and enjoy it on some level.
I will let you all know how I do.
I was the same way, Theresa. First time I tried I was a much different reader. But I do feel like the movie helped me a lot. I was motivated to find out what happens next and the movie only hits a little over half the book.
I don't remember reading the appendices either when I read it in my teens, though I may have looked up an item or two.
My first born is certain that I'll love this book if I give it a chance. I've been intending to read it for a while. I'm not in a hurry to see the movie, so I might just wait for a science fiction tag. It might be nice to get his brother and dad in on this and we'll all read it together. We might have to lure the youngest in with a graphic novel.
NancyJ wrote: "My first born is certain that I'll love this book if I give it a chance. I've been intending to read it for a while. I'm not in a hurry to see the movie, so I might just wait for a science fiction ..."Wait until all 3 volumes of the graphic novel adaptation are published. You could read it as a family in different formats and compare - graphic, print and audio.
I didn't see the appendices at first, got about halfway through, then noticed the glossary. I actually found the glossary HUGELY helpful, especially if there are words and phrases bandied about that you seem to be missing the full context for (when I read the entry for "Butlerian Jihad" for example, it gave me a real lightbulb over head moment - along with what on earth the Orange Catholic Bible is, lol). I didn't read the rest until I was done, and iirc the section on the ecology of Dune actually has some pretty major spoilers in it for the plot of the book proper. I'd suggest leaving those for last, but referring to the glossary if you need to look stuff up.
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I need some advice on reading Dune. There are several Appendices which seem to discuss the society and religion and such for tge world created. When is best to read them? At beginning? Feels boring and given this is my 4th attempt to read this, nay not be best. Reading at end seems pointless. Does reading them as you would google something whike reading the story doable?
Any advice on pacing will be welcome, too.