A review by nincrony1
Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Very interesting going back to the book that started it all; in the sense of 1) the Dune franchise, that has found new life with the recent film adaptations and 2) its massive influence on science-fiction. I most certainly respect Dune a hell of a lot; and how it’s the ur text of the science-fantasy genre that would (intentional or not) influence Star Wars the next decade. However, there is a stoicism to the narrative and character writing that I’ve always found tricky to engage with. People think The Lord of the Rings is quite an austere novel but there is a warmth to the writing and the world. Dune is much closer to this pre-conception. I’m also not a fan of the inner-monologues; I think it’s meant to give a Shakespearean quality to it (ie soliloquies) but it creates a book with lots of thoughtful characters but limited interactions. I think the changes made to the second half of the novel in the new film version do improve things. Still, there are moments which I enjoyed in the book and the world-building itself is phenomenal, no argument there.