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A review by alexiasp
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As much as I have enjoyed Dune, exactly that much I have dragged myself to finish Dune Messiah. It took me the same amount to read these two.
While Dune felt like it ended abruptly, I NEEDED to know what happened next. It's accurate when people say Dune Messiah is basically an extended epilogue. This book is boring; for the most part, it's more telling than things actually happening. It does pick up by the 70% mark, I would say if you want to push through there.
Despite the book being drowned in Paul's constant dreadfulness, I found some interesting parts, but not detailed enough. I was curious about how Alia's mind and visions work. Well...I still don't know.I did find it interesting, and even terrifying, to read about Paul's choice not to get the Tleilaxu eyes and rely on his visions and how that made the people worship him even more as he could "see without seeing". .
Perhaps the worst part is the prose; 80% of the book always comes back to a political/metaphysical metaphor, which, to me, was not introspective and just stood in the way of understanding the plot and the background scheming.
Although I did not enjoy "the journey," I did find the ending quite unexpected and more satisfying than Dune's.
Nevermind all that
So, I changed my rating (and rated it higher) because the more I digest the book, the more I like it....?
I just realized the plot is really unhinged (and interesting). But man, the way it is written...just not for me. I really missed Dune's ecological aspect, the great villains, all the theories about human evolution, and the philosophical implications. This book still has all that, but much, much less.
Also, I miss Jessica! She was my favourite :(. I could NOT care for Alia's pov. The best we got out of her washer ritual at her temple looking through Paul's pov. .
While Dune felt like it ended abruptly, I NEEDED to know what happened next. It's accurate when people say Dune Messiah is basically an extended epilogue. This book is boring; for the most part, it's more telling than things actually happening. It does pick up by the 70% mark, I would say if you want to push through there.
Despite the book being drowned in Paul's constant dreadfulness, I found some interesting parts, but not detailed enough. I was curious about how Alia's mind and visions work. Well...I still don't know.
Perhaps the worst part is the prose; 80% of the book always comes back to a political/metaphysical metaphor, which, to me, was not introspective and just stood in the way of understanding the plot and the background scheming.
Although I did not enjoy "the journey," I did find the ending quite unexpected and more satisfying than Dune's.
Nevermind all that
So, I changed my rating (and rated it higher) because the more I digest the book, the more I like it....?
I just realized the plot is really unhinged (and interesting). But man, the way it is written...just not for me. I really missed Dune's ecological aspect, the great villains, all the theories about human evolution, and the philosophical implications. This book still has all that, but much, much less.
Also, I miss Jessica! She was my favourite :(. I could NOT care for Alia's pov. The best we got out of her was