Dune

This book made me FURIOUS. It has no right to only get kind of interesting in the last 25% and exciting in the final <10% while being SO LONG.

World building and history ≠ handing your readers a glossary that requires multiple internal references to parse. If it's important to know to understand the story, make it the story.

Interminable, stilted dialogue that goes for tens of pages and action scenes that pass in a paragraph.

Form and execution notwithstanding, this book is also wildly bigoted, racist, and homophobic.

Also: we are in space, why do I have to read a book about a white boy named PAUL.

DNF @ 22% on the audiobook. Keep in mind I've never seen the original movie or know anything about the Dune universe (I've seen bits of the new remake but kept falling asleep

I felt constantly bored by this book. I didn't like the characters; I didn't like the prose; the plot was quite linear and predictably boring. Sometimes I think to myself, “maybe the characters are supposed to seem alien and strange and unlikeable? Maybe the plot is supposed to be predictable because, well, Paul?” But this book is neither entertaining nor thought-provoking. A real disappointment.

Holy s***.

The absolute GRIP this book had on me this past week when I finally had the time to read it. Jesus Christ. No wonder its a science fiction classic and behemoth. This thing is incredible and may very well be the best thing I read all year.

This book made me cry, smile, snap it closed and pace angrily before returning to it. It is an emotional rollercoaster and I dare say I was more invested in these characters than I ever have been in the past 2 years for a book that put romance on the backburner (but not completely– I do love those two to death).

I'd like to apologize in advance to my friends for the countless hours I will spend gushing about this book. Is it a massive undertaking? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

I'm not sure I'll ever be over the past 100 pages oh my GOD.

It took me a bit to get into the book, but once I started getting into it, reading became a pleasure.

I believe it important to mention that the writing style is very factual and might be a bit jarring, especially in the beginning. It's the main reason my rating is less than 5 stars.

But i did like the odd places the author took this story. It made me think.
I like the universe he has crafted - it's so rich and so considerate of circumstances. So much so, that ecological and environmental consideration are woven into every bit of the story. Without it ever becoming too much.

I'm happy I read this book now and not when I was a teenager and first considered it. I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it back then.

Now there is A LOT going on in this book, and it is definitely one that needs to be read at least a second time in order to understand everything completely. Unfortunately, I read it on audio, and the version I had although marketed as “unabridged” was missing parts of the book. I don't feel like I can rate it properly because of that but as of now, it is a 4-star book for me. I'm not one who likes a lot of political intrigue and that is the main plot of the story, but other than that it was exactly what I was hoping from an epic sci-fi. In 2022 I plan on re-reading it physically to understand it better and read the missing parts from the audio version.

Why did I pick this book?
I saw the movie, it was amazing. And I saw from the movie that Herbert had done a tremendous deal of worldbuilding, which I wanted to know more about.

What did I think of it?
I was not disappointed by the worldbuilding. It is really amazing what Herbert has done, with a believable future for earth and the human race. How humanity has evolved, the butlerian jihad and use of computers, the evolution of religion; it's really refreshing to learn about.

I've heard several people have a gripe with Herbert's writing style, and I can relate to that. I can imagine people coming to these books after Game of Thrones and you can expect a similar level of different storylines interwoven together. Both books focus heavily on interactions and conversations between people. However, in Game of Thrones the battles and struggles in between are told in great detail as well, where Herbert can just glance over them and skip 2 years in time between chapters.

Herbert will shift between perspectives between sentences. Starting with the viewpoint of Paul and shifting in the next sentence to his mother Jessica. I really love this, as he can capture subtle signs, interactions and emotions really well, but it can be really confusing as well.

My recommendation
I loved this book for its worldbuilding; the ecology of Arrakis (the planet), how religion has evolved, the politics, etc. I also loved the subtle emotions. If you like this I would also suggest The Night Angle Trilogy by Brent Weeks.

If you liked the movie, also watch the 2006 movie The Fall. It has the same cinematic scenes.

I am so glad I finally read this! I wanted to read it before watching the movie. I started the physical copy, and decided to switch to the audiobook. I thought the audiobook was fantastic! I'm not usually a fan of multiple narrators, but this one is well done in my opinion.
I loved this book!
Now I need the box set!

Alia <3

Finally read this book after avoiding it for years. Highly recommended by friends and family alike and the truth is, I am mostly apprehensive with Sci Fi books for multiple reasons. I tend to get bogged down by details that it's hard for me to move on with the story if I can't figure out how something works - which can be hard when the FICTION is harder in a Sci Fi. Also because I found out this was a series and unfortunately, Herbert died prior to finishing the final book. That alone made me avoid it like the plague. I've been assured that it might not matter, guess I'll find out.

But finally, here we are. TBH, I mostly read this BECAUSE I wanted to watch the movie and irrationally wanted to raise my standards/expectations to better set myself up for disappointment for any adaptation that might take form. But I was mistaken on a lot of points. Love it when that happens. 

This is probably one of, if not the most, accessible scifi book I've ever read. (not that I've read that much, mostly PKD, novellas, does vonnegut count?) There is a reason why DUNE is a CLASSIC. The trope flipping (now my favorite genre) of the messiah story is done masterfully. Herbert was very wise in saying that charismatic leaders should come with a warning, and boy, do we get that with Paul Atreides. That alone, makes him one of the most interesting main characters. He has flaws, it's laid out, he uses things to his advantage, for his survival, yes. But manipulation, just the same. And we're not allowed to look away from that and brush it aside.

Pacing might be gruelingly slow for a lot of people and unless you have a masochistic tendency to allow being bogged down by DETAILS, uh fair warning. There is even a chapter that is just about a dinner. But, that's part of what makes this book great. It has LAYERS.

Overall, DUNE is a classic for a reason. You might even recognize some of the tropes that spawned in succeeding sci fi (and fantasy) books, movies and series. This is the OG (AFAIK) and if you are a fan of fiction, this is a must read.

“He looked at his hand. How inadequate it appeared when measured against such creatures as that worm.”

This is one of those books I always felt like I should read, but never actually ended up doing so. The mixed reviews from friends that oscillated between it being the best book ever to it being the most boring book ever didn't really instill confidence in me, and it's quite a large book to commit to if you're not even sure people like it. If it wasn't for the movie coming out, I likely would continue kicking the can down the road until I either ran out of can or ran out of road. My friends goaded me into finally reading it, and while it took me forever, I can finally say I've read it. I can also confidently say that this is the best book I'll never revisit.

For the good, the worldbuilding is spectacular, and the entire reason I finished the book. Full disclosure, I did not read the appendices, but what was included in the actual novel was enough to keep me engaged. I wanted to love this journey I was on, Frank Herbert kept my imagination fed and made it easy for me to picture the desert, the vistas, the people, the scenes. I loved reading the descriptions for that alone.

Unfortunately pretty scenery does not a great book make. I found the characters vaguely unpleasant, and boring in some cases. Herbert's reliance on the auto-win Bene Gesserit button also made any conflict predictable and flat. The pacing also felt really weird in places; things have a slow steady buildup in the beginning, and then suddenly we're clearing entire years in a few pages with very little warning.

I'm glad I read this in anticipation of seeing the movie, but I likely will not re-read it, nor will I read the followup novels.

While I still enjoyed my time with this incredibly vivid world building and immediate—almost intimidating—sense of absorption via myriad forms of jargon and culture, this is certainly overhyped in being called the greatest sci-fi book of all-time. The characters are for the most part great—and Paul is set up to have some excellent development—but so much time is dedicated to the agriculture, biology, and overall politics of Arrakis, that you wouldn't be blamed for feeling this book's already decently sized length. That said, I did think having finished this prior to the film's release greatly helped and improved my love and respect for Denis Villenueve's adaptation.

Dune is a great book, and the cultural impact it has had is immense. I loved the world building and I thought the underlying themes touched on issues that are still relevant to this day (e.g. oppression of indigenous peoples such as the Fremen).

I really wanted to love it enough to give it a 5 star rating but although this book was engaging, it wasn't necessarily a can't-put-down book for me. The ending also felt a little anticlimactic for me and though I love the Middle Eastern and Islamic undertones, is it just me or does it also feel like appropriation?

Dune is a great book, and the cultural impact it has had is immense. I loved the world building and I thought the underlying themes touched on issues that are still relevant to this day (e.g. oppression of indigenous peoples such as the Fremen).

I really wanted to love it enough to give it a 5 star rating but although this book was engaging, it wasn't necessarily a can't-put-down book for me. The ending also felt a little anticlimactic for me and though I love the Middle Eastern and Islamic undertones, is it just me or does it also feel like appropriation?

So it's kinda like Rango(2011) if you think about it

I've always feared reading Dune - discussions about the scope, the mythology and the world building have always seemed to categorise the book as a must read but not necessarily an enjoyable one. With the upcoming release of the Dune movie (part 1) I thought it was about time I took the plunge. I need not have worried, Dune is far more accessible than people give it credit for and it rarely feels like it was written in the 60s.

There's a reason this is the best selling sci-fi book of all time and considered an absolute classic. The influences on modern sci-fi and fantasy are prevalent throughout - thank you Frank Herbert for pioneering the way.

A few niggles and a slightly rushed ending prevent the full 5 stars but it's still an absolute epic.

Alright, I have mixed feelings about this one. I really appreciate the book and what it stands for but it isn't my favourite, at-least not yet.
I feel like this is a book one has to read multiple times to fall in love with.
I don't know if this can be called a review, my feelings are all over the place but here goes!

We start off being thrown right into the world with little context and a lot of complex jargon (I honestly felt quite lost and had to read it along with the audiobook for a while to get through it). A couple of chapters in however, the writing becomes accessible and I started to enjoy it. So if it's your first time reading Dune, be patient. Try the audiobook. It's phenomenal.

Another thing that takes some getting used to, the POVs switching right in the middle of a paragraph! It was strange to read at first but I I feel like it made the scene clearer and more understandable. (The audiobook helps with this as well! :p)

The world of Dune is probably one of the best things about this book. It's so fascinating and the extent of thought and research that must have gone into building a world of this scale, unimaginable!

I loved the characters, the themes and ideas explored in this book. I probably missed a lot in this first read through, but I still think it's fantastic. The characters are so passionate and we watch them grow constantly. It's a ride!

The pacing was the one thing that really bugged me. We jump from scene to scene and every time I was left feeling like I needed to spend more time understanding what was going on. It was probably intentional but it annoyed me a little. The first part of the book, I flew through! The second part of sort of a drag and took me the longest to read but the ending, amazing! Though again, at the end, I was waiting for this big thing to happen, it doesn't and I felt slightly let down. It was a great ending nonetheless.

Umm, so I enjoyed Dune. It took me the longest time to read. I don't think I understood everything Herbert was trying to convey. I feel like I might like it more if and when I reread it.

3.5

An epic story as it should be written. Was ‘cone of silence' Herbert's invention?
Utterly enjoyed both the story and the language it's written in.

What an awesome story!

J'ai bien accroché sur la première partie grâce à la découverte d'un nouvel univers, un peu plus perplexe sur la guerre religieuse qui se profile. à voir l'évolution dans les prochains tomes !

A good old fashioned classic sci fi - fun, exciting, silly, intriguing, full of creatures and politics and planets.

I definitely want to learn more about the inspiration behind the world building and the religions.

One thing that sets this above a lot of classic science fiction I have read is how likeable and developed most of the characters are. Rarely if ever does a character feel like they are just there to deliver information or move the plot along. The number of likeable and interesting characters makes it much easier to get invested in the story.

The ending does feel a little hectic but by the time you get there it's very exciting to find out what happens so it works.

Dune: It's a good time!

3,8 ⭐️

I had put off reading this book for so long because it was considered by many to be a very difficult read, but I actually found it not that bad. The first part of the book is definitely the most difficult as you are bombarded with names and terms that have no context until you get more into the story, but once past that it hits its stride and you are swept up in an epic world of intrigue, strangeness and mysticism that kept me turning pages and wanting to know more. Although it's sci fi, I certainly felt the edge of fantasy creeping in at the edges and I really enjoyed that blend. Arrakis is an endlessly interesting and highly visual world to explore and the political machinations kept me on edge. I very much enjoyed it. However, there were a few things that kept it from being a full 5 stars, namely the absolute over use of the word ‘presently'. I wanted to start counting how many times it was used, as it sadly would bring me out of the story every time it appeared just from sheer quantity throughout the book. I also found the end a bit obscure. I realize it's a series of books, but it felt very unfinished at the end and I wish more was wrapped up. Otherwise I was pleasantly surprised by Dune and I can see why it has been on the top of the sci fi legendarium for so long.

Even with some anachronisms to mid-century pros, this holds up as excellent space opera sci-fi. I thoroughly enjoyed this.