Just finished Dune by Frank Herbert, and I have to say, this book is a freaking masterpiece. Herbert really outdid himself! He created an entire universe with history, lore, languages, and intricacies that remind me so much of Tolkien's world-building. This is probably a flawed comparison, since Dune is science fiction and Tolkien is high fantasy, but F.H comes incredibly close to JRR’s mastery. And the appendices at the end instantly reminded me of LOTR.
Now, onto the plot:
People say the first 100 pages are slow, but I was completely hooked from the start. I was fascinated withthe world-building on Caladan, Arrakis, and the Bene Gesserit. I wanted to absorb every detail before getting into the main plot.
Duke Leto’s death – even though we’re warned about it early on, the actual moment hit me hard. And I never thought I’d feel sorry for Doctor Yueh after it was revealed he was the traitor, but I did. I believe this is a recurring theme in the book; the duality in human nature. Everyone has shades of good and evil, except for Baron Harkonnen. F*ck that guy.
And the ending was so freaking satisfying. From Alia getting rid of the Baron to Paul banishing the Emperor to his own prison plant, it all came together so well. And to be honest, I seriously thought Frank might kill off Paul as a consequence of losing the fight with Feyd Rautha and make him a martyr. But he let him live! And Count Fenring’s stance – just wow. So many details I could go on about, but I’d be here all day.
The dialogue between Chani and Paul at the end was a bit sad, though, and I can’t wait to read about his upcoming marriage to Princess Irulan.
Speaking of the Princess, I really liked those little excerpts from her “books” and others at the beginning of every chapter. They reminded me of Andrzej Sapkowski’s style in The Witcher, and I wonder if he was inspired by Frank Herbert?
The only part that didn’t sit well with me was the time jump after the second chapter, where Paul suddenly has a son with Chani, only for him to be killed off. Everything after the time jump made their relationship feel a bit over the top and confusing to me.
Some quotes that I loved:
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
“What do you despise? By this are you truly known.”
“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.”
“Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.”
I’m going to start reading Dune Messiah right away, but I’ve heard great things about the movies too. Should I watch the first movie before/while reading the second book, or would that spoil anything for me?
by ra2007
3 Comments
Tolkien and Herbert had opposite approaches to worldbuilding. One chose to craft thousands of years of events, while the other preferred to keep everything not happening on one particular planet a bit vague and sketched out. Fleshing out all the stuff he’d briefly mention, that was left to his son.
It’s the only one of the “Dunes” I really liked. I like pretty much everything about it.
The recent films only cover the first book.