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A review by claywerner
Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
This book is a labor at times. Its pace is slow, its world building and characterizations are deep and detailed. But it’s fantastic. I got a bit obsessed with the Dune universe with the releases of Denis Villeneuve’s movies and after two failed attempts at reading this book in 2022 and 2024, I’m so happy to have finally accomplished it.
DV’s movies are some of my most viewed and all time favorites and it is fascinating to see the liberties he took with the story, especially compared to the other two adaptations I also watched last year. Though that is said with the note that he actually improved on the story, its flow, and its stakes in many ways.
While there is no shortage of emotion or tension in this book, DV’s changes to some characters and some order of operations found ways to modernize the story and up the stakes in some cases.
The book itself is clearly one of the most influential pieces of sci-fi ever written, and I’m sure there is more to be gained from second and third readings - which I hope to do at some point. For now though, the only thing keeping this from that 5 star rating is exactly that; that the thought of re-reading this feels like too daunting of an undertaking to consider any time soon.
Now reading Dune: Messiah on the other hand is something I cannot wait to get done.
DV’s movies are some of my most viewed and all time favorites and it is fascinating to see the liberties he took with the story, especially compared to the other two adaptations I also watched last year. Though that is said with the note that he actually improved on the story, its flow, and its stakes in many ways.
While there is no shortage of emotion or tension in this book, DV’s changes to some characters and some order of operations found ways to modernize the story and up the stakes in some cases.
The book itself is clearly one of the most influential pieces of sci-fi ever written, and I’m sure there is more to be gained from second and third readings - which I hope to do at some point. For now though, the only thing keeping this from that 5 star rating is exactly that; that the thought of re-reading this feels like too daunting of an undertaking to consider any time soon.
Now reading Dune: Messiah on the other hand is something I cannot wait to get done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Minor: Cursing, Abandonment