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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
By far the weirdest of the Dune saga I have read so far and at the same time a contender for my favourite Dune book. Set thousands of years after Children of Dune it has a lot of new factions and changes to the planet itself to sink your teeth into. Deeply philosophical and mostly dialogue heavy means some people might be turned off, but the ideas presented are thought provoking and have aged quite well.
1 very small criticism isthe scene where Nayla has an orgasm while watching Duncan climb a rock tower. Reads very much like “Men writing women”
1 very small criticism is
I enjoyed this almost as much as Dune, but I can see why others may not like it. It's a lot of talking and there isn't really much action to speak of--which I think is the point. This enforced peace across the universe at the hands of a pseudo-human-worm Leto. At times, it can be wordy and pretentious, which is why I think it fails to live up to the original Dune.
slow-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On the plus side, this book is more focused than Children. On the downside that's a low bar to clear. Also, this is a lot of book for very little plot. I'd guess most of the appeal here is reading Leto's rambling . . . sorry, expounding on his views of government, religion, society et al. Though for me, that was rather painful to read so I just did not enjoy the threadbare plot interspersed around Leto's monologues.
Leto really reminded me of some people I've met who thought they were so much smarter that they couldn't be bothered to answer questions. Oh no, Leto's going to respond with vague statements and rhetorical questions to teach everyone a lesson; he can't be bothered to just give a clear answer or explanation. Then again, he's 3500 years old, maybe I should cut him some slack.
But besides Leto rambling, ope sorry, expounding, on his theories of life, the universe and everything not much happens. A few characters meet him for the first time and basically react to meeting him and learning his plan but that's pretty much it. There's just a ton of dialogue in here (most of it involving Leto rambling).
I start thinking about the series a whole now since I think I'll skip books 5 and 6 and there are some high level spoilers for this book and the previous below.
It is somewhat fascinating to see how the series evolved. Dune 1 is a space opera adventure with hints of a darkness to Paul's rise as the Fremen's mahdi to lead the jihad across the galaxy. Messiah makes the 'fear the charismatic chosen one' idea more explicit (while really focusing on the effects on Paul) and introduces more ideas like the Face Dancers and the Ixians (guess the Butlerian Jihad didn't really take). But then in Children the the Golden Path, genetic memory and gets introduced and in God Emperor we learn that humanity's survival is dependent on being subjugated by a prescient, immortal dictator for 3500 years so he can teach us a lesson and run a breeding program (how do we know that's true? the prescient, immortal dictator said so. If you can't trust him, who can you trust?)
Which leads to an interesting theme through the series where we learn to fear the ubermensch who'll set himself above us but that ultimately, an ubermensch dictator is needed to forcibly lead humanity on the one path that leads to survival. And that's a really cynical outlook, that warning against the ubermensch combined with the idea that people are so easily controlled that our only hope is a self-appointed, benevolent ubermensch to save us from ourselves (and literally breed the susceptibility to ubermenschen out of us). I respect that level of blunt cynicism but dang. Can't imagine actually viewing people like that.
However, I think there's an even deeper theme to Dune. See, the Butlerian Jihad to destroy thinking machines was done to break people's reliance on computers and machinery to do things that people could've done for themselves (which I sympathize with, especially every time I rely on spell check or use a calculator for a simple calculation).
But humanity follows that up with relying on Arrakis' spice melange monopoly, the Spacing Guild's travel monopoly and the Great House's monopoly on violence (not a true monopoly but effectively one considering shields effectively eliminate firearms and bring a warrior aristocracy back). And humanity being subject to all of these monopolies leaves them subject to the horrors of Paul and Leto's reigns when Paul consolidates all power in his own person.
So, that's the moral of the story. Practice self sufficiency, resist monopolies, take responsibility for your own self defense or else you'll be enslaved by a three thousand year old space worm and forced to take part in his breeding program.
You know, I started that 'deeper theme' section thinking I was going to crack a joke about how it's good to get away from your phones but not to get hooked on space drugs. I kind of like the conclusion I came to but seriously, don't do space drugs. That'll get you enslaved by space worms too.
Leto really reminded me of some people I've met who thought they were so much smarter that they couldn't be bothered to answer questions. Oh no, Leto's going to respond with vague statements and rhetorical questions to teach everyone a lesson; he can't be bothered to just give a clear answer or explanation. Then again, he's 3500 years old, maybe I should cut him some slack.
But besides Leto rambling, ope sorry, expounding, on his theories of life, the universe and everything not much happens. A few characters meet him for the first time and basically react to meeting him and learning his plan but that's pretty much it. There's just a ton of dialogue in here (most of it involving Leto rambling).
I start thinking about the series a whole now since I think I'll skip books 5 and 6 and there are some high level spoilers for this book and the previous below.
It is somewhat fascinating to see how the series evolved. Dune 1 is a space opera adventure with hints of a darkness to Paul's rise as the Fremen's mahdi to lead the jihad across the galaxy. Messiah makes the 'fear the charismatic chosen one' idea more explicit (while really focusing on the effects on Paul) and introduces more ideas like the Face Dancers and the Ixians (guess the Butlerian Jihad didn't really take). But then in Children the the Golden Path, genetic memory and
Spoiler
possessionWhich leads to an interesting theme through the series where we learn to fear the ubermensch who'll set himself above us but that ultimately, an ubermensch dictator is needed to forcibly lead humanity on the one path that leads to survival. And that's a really cynical outlook, that warning against the ubermensch combined with the idea that people are so easily controlled that our only hope is a self-appointed, benevolent ubermensch to save us from ourselves (and literally breed the susceptibility to ubermenschen out of us). I respect that level of blunt cynicism but dang. Can't imagine actually viewing people like that.
However, I think there's an even deeper theme to Dune. See, the Butlerian Jihad to destroy thinking machines was done to break people's reliance on computers and machinery to do things that people could've done for themselves (which I sympathize with, especially every time I rely on spell check or use a calculator for a simple calculation).
But humanity follows that up with relying on Arrakis' spice melange monopoly, the Spacing Guild's travel monopoly and the Great House's monopoly on violence (not a true monopoly but effectively one considering shields effectively eliminate firearms and bring a warrior aristocracy back). And humanity being subject to all of these monopolies leaves them subject to the horrors of Paul and Leto's reigns when Paul consolidates all power in his own person.
So, that's the moral of the story. Practice self sufficiency, resist monopolies, take responsibility for your own self defense or else you'll be enslaved by a three thousand year old space worm and forced to take part in his breeding program.
You know, I started that 'deeper theme' section thinking I was going to crack a joke about how it's good to get away from your phones but not to get hooked on space drugs. I kind of like the conclusion I came to but seriously, don't do space drugs. That'll get you enslaved by space worms too.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
É um livro incrível dentro da saga e eu me empolguei bastante pelo formato mais focado em diálogos (o que fez a compreensão ser melhor, também). Não esperava esse final.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes