Dune
By: Frank Herbert
An epic novel with a complicated mother figure? A space witch of sorts sold to a powerful Duke for breeding who falls madly in love with him and therefore screws up the breeding plans…
Yeah I bet you can guess my favorite character.
Though I’m betting the writers of the upcoming Dune movie treat her adaptation better than Cat over on Game of Thrones but that’s a whole other story.
So I was worried I wouldn’t read Dune in time for the movie. Turns out that wasn’t an issue. Also I’ve heard mixed things about this novel over the years about Paul Atreides whose family is sent to rule over the Uber-powerful spice world and there betrayed by an old grudge and another powerful family.
I come down on the side of… I liked it. It’s a surprisingly easy read.
But I can also easily recognize the problems and I think it’s one of those books where the ideas presented take on more of a life of their own even outside of the books so it gives you so much to think about that it kind of papers over the cracks.
The cracks being a poorly paced second half and characters that tend to become more figures as the book goes on and so the dialogue gets a lot iffier. Yes I can understand to that the book really throws you into it I have to admit being highly interested in the movie I knew a lot of the information already and you may want to check out some Dune videos on-line. Quinn’s Ideas has some of the best information I found.
For me I love how Herbert did the ideas of prophecy, religion and a chosen one. I’ve already seen some white savior claims that are making me sigh. I definitely think before people start going off on the movie they should read the book.
So Dune is not going to be the best written easiest book you’ve ever read. But it is a journey that gives you plenty to think about. And that made it worth it for me. I’m going to continue the rest of the (Frank Herbert) written books in the series.
Recommend: Yes.