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mabelsyrup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This being the first scifi NOVEL I've ever read is giving the same vibe as when the second Stephen King book i read was It, I'm all or nothing
Dune is so fucking exquisite fr, the worldbuilding is so detailed and extensive; it feels like every single term has a backstory and a significance, some people have said that the story relies too much on dumping all the explanations into the glossary but to me that was a huge bonus cuz imagine explaining ALL those things in the main story, the book would be 1000 pages lmao and cutting some of those things is actually not an option, you could just get by with the context clues sometimes or you could go in and read on what this random Butlerian Jihad means and then you go down a rabbit hole because that is so fucking cool but it isn't the point of the book so you gotta move on.. yea.
Going into this story for the characters and the relationships and the relationship between Chani and Paul teehee ISNT GONNA WORK yall, Dune isn't about the good side of humanity and finding brotherhood and community it's about literal assasinations, opportunism, the exploitation of religion and resources, and how fucked up people are even thousands of years into the future, these characters are not ones you feel fondly about (except Duncan my one and only.. and Alia? maybe) because they suck from the beginning or they start going to hell as the story goes along. This ties into the theory i have that one MUST watch the Villenueve movies before reading this (at least the first one) as it gives a more explicit view that this isn't the type of story that you think it will be.
I do think the book suffers from the typical white male author in the 20th century syndrome; it is said many times that the Fremen women are just as savage and efficient in battle as the men and the children are also trained and capable of fighting and blah blah..okay? show it to me then? show me a section where the women are actually killing some people don't just tell me and expect me to believe you cuz... i'm not buying it lmao, the women in Dune are either spiritual, a witch or just hanging out, obvs there's nothing wrong w being a witch (i actually wanted MORE from the Bene Gesserit and their scheming little plots) but it annoyed me that they kept saying that Chani was such a slay fighting baddie but all she did was follow Paul like an assistant, not even a bodyguard just his assistant, although I was expecting much much worse from her, she seems to be more of the analytical type in the book.
Another thing is that yeah, the story sometimes is a lot. There's many threads connecting and unraveling and sometimes i felt like i couldn't follow everything seamlesly, and i felt some actual plot lines could've been explained better but for some reason it also made me like it a bit more? like i was amused every time i went "tf is going on rn?"
IF Only you could see my copy of this book i went crazy, i almost ran out of ink and post its, I'm taking a break for like a month and then I'm jumping right into book two rrraahhhhh
Dune is so fucking exquisite fr, the worldbuilding is so detailed and extensive; it feels like every single term has a backstory and a significance, some people have said that the story relies too much on dumping all the explanations into the glossary but to me that was a huge bonus cuz imagine explaining ALL those things in the main story, the book would be 1000 pages lmao and cutting some of those things is actually not an option, you could just get by with the context clues sometimes or you could go in and read on what this random Butlerian Jihad means and then you go down a rabbit hole because that is so fucking cool but it isn't the point of the book so you gotta move on.. yea.
Going into this story for the characters and the relationships and the relationship between Chani and Paul teehee ISNT GONNA WORK yall, Dune isn't about the good side of humanity and finding brotherhood and community it's about literal assasinations, opportunism, the exploitation of religion and resources, and how fucked up people are even thousands of years into the future, these characters are not ones you feel fondly about (except Duncan my one and only.. and Alia? maybe) because they suck from the beginning or they start going to hell as the story goes along. This ties into the theory i have that one MUST watch the Villenueve movies before reading this (at least the first one) as it gives a more explicit view that this isn't the type of story that you think it will be.
I do think the book suffers from the typical white male author in the 20th century syndrome; it is said many times that the Fremen women are just as savage and efficient in battle as the men and the children are also trained and capable of fighting and blah blah..okay? show it to me then? show me a section where the women are actually killing some people don't just tell me and expect me to believe you cuz... i'm not buying it lmao, the women in Dune are either spiritual, a witch or just hanging out, obvs there's nothing wrong w being a witch (i actually wanted MORE from the Bene Gesserit and their scheming little plots) but it annoyed me that they kept saying that Chani was such a slay fighting baddie but all she did was follow Paul like an assistant, not even a bodyguard just his assistant, although I was expecting much much worse from her, she seems to be more of the analytical type in the book.
Another thing is that yeah, the story sometimes is a lot. There's many threads connecting and unraveling and sometimes i felt like i couldn't follow everything seamlesly, and i felt some actual plot lines could've been explained better but for some reason it also made me like it a bit more? like i was amused every time i went "tf is going on rn?"
IF Only you could see my copy of this book i went crazy, i almost ran out of ink and post its, I'm taking a break for like a month and then I'm jumping right into book two rrraahhhhh
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pedophilia and Torture
gvstyris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong - faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's too late.
It goes without saying that Dune is a masterclass in science-fiction. Herbert's rich world-building truly makes this book, and encouraged me to persevere despite his often inconsistent pacing and flat characters. The conlangs, historical references and various excerpts 'provided' by Princess Irulan...I aspire to have a fraction of Herbert's imagination. I also very much looked forward to the Harkonnens' chapters and was fascinated by the complexities of Lady Jessica's character.
That being said, this book is far from accessible. My reading experience was very much enhanced by my pre-existing interest in the recent adaptations, and I would honestly argue that both films do a better job than the novel of explaining whatever the hell is going on. I'm glad to have finally read Dune in its original form and will likely try my hand at the sequel, but will definitely be primarily recommending Villeneuve's films going forward. I'm not much of a science-fiction reader, though, which definitely played a role in my disinterest.
I think it's also worth pointing out where Dune ages poorly. Namely, the primary antagonist being a fat, gay pedophile (:sob:) and the pervasive misogyny in Herbert's social structures. This is where the movie again finds more success, given how Chani is both influential and an outspoken critic of Paul.
This review has turned out to be more critical than I'd originally intended, but I am very proud to have conquered something so far out of my reading comfort zone. I suppose Lord of the Rings is next...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Genocide
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
sruthivishy1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
eyeliner_brand's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Sci Fi classic. Definitely deserved but very long and complicated. Dune is it’s own world with a special vibe definitely worth a try.sophierosemaria's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Had this audiobook for ages but never got around to it. Spurred to action after watching the 2nd movie.
Great book and so glad I read it. Although since I watched the movies first so the timelines were a bit getting used to, as it is very different.
Great book and so glad I read it. Although since I watched the movies first so the timelines were a bit getting used to, as it is very different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and War
bookhoe1's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I understand why this book became a classic. The world-building is very intricate and detailed, a lot of aspects are merely mentioned in passing which makes discovering the world natural and enjoyable. I also think it's a rather interesting concept of chosen one Herbert used.
I do think it is very fast paced at time where I would've enjoyed more detail. The big finale is like 20 pages long. But overall a solid book, while of course being a product of it's time.
I do think it is very fast paced at time where I would've enjoyed more detail. The big finale is like 20 pages long. But overall a solid book, while of course being a product of it's time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy and Racism
Minor: Suicide and Torture
grace_b_3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual violence
draven_deathcrush's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm becoming a sci-fi guy! This book was great, even though it took me longer than usual to finish. I'm excited to watch the movies and read the other books in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Slavery, Fatphobia, and War
Minor: Rape and Pedophilia
voldycat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Grief, and Xenophobia
Minor: Fatphobia, Child death, Suicide, and Torture
mari_cx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, War, and Violence
Minor: Torture and Drug use