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A review by toggle_fow
Dune by Frank Herbert
5.0
Edit 03/04/2024: I usually put my review edits after the original review. However. The below original review is so absolutely insufferable that I can't abide the thought of someone seeing it first.
Suffice to say that I apologize for the person I was in 2017.
Anyway, this reread is the latest in a string of rereads that have surprised me. My memory of reading Dune for the first time is of having no idea what was going on in the first 50 pages, but being captivated anyway by the mystery and the magnetic personalities of the briefly-introduced characters. My experience this time is that it's relatively straightforward to understand, but I'm still captivated.
It's still incredibly fun. Even though now I have the unfortunate knowledge of what happens next, I still love Paul and his tortured, awful destiny.
Original review:
I typically don't put much stock in classics.
"It's so good - it's a classic!" they say. Usually, they are talking about a movie (possibly Apocalypse Now), or the kind of book that has risen to a vaunted place in Western literary canon (possibly The Great Gatsby).
Ugh, I sigh, while smiling and nodding so as to not rudely dampen their enthusiasm. Some classics are great! A great many, though, I have not found to be worth my time. This has led to a general distrust of the label, and possibly even to an avoidance of things so described.
HOWEVER - I'm beginning to realize that I may have to revise this prejudice when it comes to science fiction and fantasy classics. My expectations for Dune were pretty low. One might accurately describe them as knee-high to a gnat. Quite frankly, I only started reading it because a) I had a convenient copy on hand, and b) there's a Children of Dune miniseries starring James McAvoy that I've had my eye on for a while. I even had a really annoying edition - irrelevant cover, super tiny and unattractive print - but that didn't stop it from winding me up into a state of extreme hyped-ness by page 50.
I admittedly thought about giving this book 4 stars. I don't think I'll be re-reading it 8 times a year like I do Ender's Game, and it didn't make me gnaw my own arm off in glee, suspense and excitement like some 5-star books. But. Honestly, I LOVE Dune, and it gave me the best urgent reading rush I have experienced since I became a working adult and all the joy in my soul died. So. Five stars.
Why did I like it so much? I'm not quite sure, but most of the reasons probably break down under two main headings:
1) Medieval outer space desert planet political subterfuge. Hell yeah.
2) Paul is a too-smart too-wise adolescent Mary Sue with godlike powers and a Destiny™ that will probably lead him to spend most of his life in a state of burdened loneliness and melancholy, despite the presence all around him of supporting characters who would instantly rip out their own beating hearts and give them to Paul if he asked. I may have mentioned that I like Ender's Game.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on the sequel(s) anytime soon, since I'm not exactly a fan of exchanging money for goods and services, but I will absolutely be keeping a sharp eye out for any likely opportunities to finagle Dune Messiah somehow.
Suffice to say that I apologize for the person I was in 2017.
Anyway, this reread is the latest in a string of rereads that have surprised me. My memory of reading Dune for the first time is of having no idea what was going on in the first 50 pages, but being captivated anyway by the mystery and the magnetic personalities of the briefly-introduced characters. My experience this time is that it's relatively straightforward to understand, but I'm still captivated.
It's still incredibly fun. Even though now I have the unfortunate knowledge of what happens next, I still love Paul and his tortured, awful destiny.
Original review:
I typically don't put much stock in classics.
"It's so good - it's a classic!" they say. Usually, they are talking about a movie (possibly Apocalypse Now), or the kind of book that has risen to a vaunted place in Western literary canon (possibly The Great Gatsby).
Ugh, I sigh, while smiling and nodding so as to not rudely dampen their enthusiasm. Some classics are great! A great many, though, I have not found to be worth my time. This has led to a general distrust of the label, and possibly even to an avoidance of things so described.
HOWEVER - I'm beginning to realize that I may have to revise this prejudice when it comes to science fiction and fantasy classics. My expectations for Dune were pretty low. One might accurately describe them as knee-high to a gnat. Quite frankly, I only started reading it because a) I had a convenient copy on hand, and b) there's a Children of Dune miniseries starring James McAvoy that I've had my eye on for a while. I even had a really annoying edition - irrelevant cover, super tiny and unattractive print - but that didn't stop it from winding me up into a state of extreme hyped-ness by page 50.
I admittedly thought about giving this book 4 stars. I don't think I'll be re-reading it 8 times a year like I do Ender's Game, and it didn't make me gnaw my own arm off in glee, suspense and excitement like some 5-star books. But. Honestly, I LOVE Dune, and it gave me the best urgent reading rush I have experienced since I became a working adult and all the joy in my soul died. So. Five stars.
Why did I like it so much? I'm not quite sure, but most of the reasons probably break down under two main headings:
1) Medieval outer space desert planet political subterfuge. Hell yeah.
2) Paul is a too-smart too-wise adolescent Mary Sue with godlike powers and a Destiny™ that will probably lead him to spend most of his life in a state of burdened loneliness and melancholy, despite the presence all around him of supporting characters who would instantly rip out their own beating hearts and give them to Paul if he asked. I may have mentioned that I like Ender's Game.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on the sequel(s) anytime soon, since I'm not exactly a fan of exchanging money for goods and services, but I will absolutely be keeping a sharp eye out for any likely opportunities to finagle Dune Messiah somehow.