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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first ~fifty pages contain probably the best science fiction prose I have ever read. It is such a great comfort when you know right off the bat that a book is gonna be good.
Dune is, ostensibly, very derivative; strip away the science fiction and you're left with a classic "boy with a destiny falls into obscurity but rises up with unlikely allies to defeat the evil empire" story (the main villain is a gluttonous, rambling, murderous pedophile, for goodness sake). But underneath the skin, its veins pump a unique science fiction twist. Part of the point is that there is no magic, only humans -- there are humans with super cognition approaching the point of telepathy or prophecy, but they are only humans trained to the maximum of their ability, surrounded by man-made mystique.
And Paul Atreides is more than just a boy hero. The question is not at all can he succeed in his quest -- Herbert doesn't deny that the natural ending is his protagonist's victory -- but he is haunted by the ramifications of his choices, as becoming the mythical figure he was destined to be might have consequences worst than what his arch rivals could achieve.
This book was such a wild ride, but I do have a few nitpicks on it. As a consequence of many of the characters being hyper-intelligent and super-observant beings, the dialogue and prose can be a little thick at times; the more interesting characters are actually the more normal ones, like Gurney the bard warrior or Duke Leto, Paul's father, who knows he is doomed to die but tries anyway to fight the inevitable. The ending is also very rushed (a siege, climactic fight, and regime change occurs in about a hundred pages), and we never get much time to truly appreciate Paul's evil counterpart, Feyd-Rautha, outside that he's evil and we should prefer Paul.
And my biggest disappointment is, as Paul begins to accept his role, leadership position, and superhuman abilities, he frankly becomes a bit of an a-hole and heartless dick, which is disappointing after growing to like the spunky, caring kid from the first quarter of the book. But I accept that that's part of the point, as highlighted by a test posed to Paul Atreides in the opening chapters: are you a human or an animal?
Dune is, ostensibly, very derivative; strip away the science fiction and you're left with a classic "boy with a destiny falls into obscurity but rises up with unlikely allies to defeat the evil empire" story (the main villain is a gluttonous, rambling, murderous pedophile, for goodness sake). But underneath the skin, its veins pump a unique science fiction twist. Part of the point is that there is no magic, only humans -- there are humans with super cognition approaching the point of telepathy or prophecy, but they are only humans trained to the maximum of their ability, surrounded by man-made mystique.
And Paul Atreides is more than just a boy hero. The question is not at all can he succeed in his quest -- Herbert doesn't deny that the natural ending is his protagonist's victory -- but he is haunted by the ramifications of his choices, as becoming the mythical figure he was destined to be might have consequences worst than what his arch rivals could achieve.
This book was such a wild ride, but I do have a few nitpicks on it. As a consequence of many of the characters being hyper-intelligent and super-observant beings, the dialogue and prose can be a little thick at times; the more interesting characters are actually the more normal ones, like Gurney the bard warrior or Duke Leto, Paul's father, who knows he is doomed to die but tries anyway to fight the inevitable. The ending is also very rushed (a siege, climactic fight, and regime change occurs in about a hundred pages), and we never get much time to truly appreciate Paul's evil counterpart, Feyd-Rautha, outside that he's evil and we should prefer Paul.
And my biggest disappointment is, as Paul begins to accept his role, leadership position, and superhuman abilities, he frankly becomes a bit of an a-hole and heartless dick, which is disappointing after growing to like the spunky, caring kid from the first quarter of the book. But I accept that that's part of the point, as highlighted by a test posed to Paul Atreides in the opening chapters: are you a human or an animal?
Ponderous and infuriating, but the call of the desert was hard to resist. Glad it’s over.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellent book. I found this part of Brian Herbert's (Frank Herbert's son) afterward particularly accurate: " 'Dune' could be read on any of several layers that were nested beneath the adventure story of a messiah on a desert planet. Ecology is the most obvious layer, but alongside that are politics, religion, philosophy, history, human evolution, and even poetry. 'Dune' is a marvelous tapestry of words, sounds, and images..... You could follow any of the novel's layers as you read it, and then start the book all over again, focusing on an entirely different layer."
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a great admiration for everyone who read this book in their teens. This is a complex exploration of political, religious and societal concepts. Not always easy to follow, but still a good read.
"Great" meaning "large" or "immense"
We use it in the majoritive sense!
Yawn.
We use it in the majoritive sense!
Yawn.
Ich wollte die Trilogie wirklich mögen, aber ich konnte das Buch nicht zu Ende lesen. Bei CoD musste ich aufgeben. Die Figuren sind unsympathisch, Hintergründe und Begriffe werden häufig nicht erklärt, Dialoge sind langweilig. Vielleicht hat jemand Lust, mir ganz unironisch ein paar Fragen zu beantworten:
Woher rührt die Feindschaft zwischen House Harkonnen und Atreides?
Wenn Duke Leto ahnte, dass Dune seinen Tod bedeuten könnte, warum fliegt er dann überhaupt hin?
Warum finden sich freiwillig Navigatoren für die Space Guild, wenn man doch durch das Spice langsam zu einem drogenabhängigen Fischmonster wird?
Warum ist Pauls Großvater Baron Harkonnen, wenn es doch zwischen den Häusern eine Feindschaft gibt?
Wie genau soll der Holtzman-Effekt funktionieren?
Warum werden Leto II und Ghanima mit vollem Bewusstsein geboren?
Woher rührt die Feindschaft zwischen House Harkonnen und Atreides?
Wenn Duke Leto ahnte, dass Dune seinen Tod bedeuten könnte, warum fliegt er dann überhaupt hin?
Warum finden sich freiwillig Navigatoren für die Space Guild, wenn man doch durch das Spice langsam zu einem drogenabhängigen Fischmonster wird?
Warum ist Pauls Großvater Baron Harkonnen, wenn es doch zwischen den Häusern eine Feindschaft gibt?
Wie genau soll der Holtzman-Effekt funktionieren?
Warum werden Leto II und Ghanima mit vollem Bewusstsein geboren?