Dune review

[gdoc]

In modern fiction, that would be true - but Dune was published in 1965 when Omniscient POV use was the norm. The unique way Frank Herbert used it was to underline conflict between characters within a scene.

There are still books being published in SF/F that are in Omniscient POV, though it's not common now - though it is in other genres.

Perhaps. I still find it jarring and artificial, which is a shame in such a richly imagined world.

 

[Judderman]

I just got through Dune. I thought the first quarter was a superb start. Interesting setting. Family and political drama. Spoilers: But after the Duke was killed, and his son and wife were stranded in the desert I thought about the next third of the book was quite dull. It got quite bogged down in the quasi-religious stuff and Paul's visions of the future. Somehow the life on Arrakis was just not interesting to read about. The latter parts picked up though and it was a good ending. I was a bit disappointed by Thufir's end. It seemed he would build up to something grand. .

I have read that the sequels get progressively worse. I might read the next book but I'm not in a rush to. Having said that considering when Dune was written it is a great sci-fi novel and I'm glad I read it. Now I will continue my plan to plant in a desert..

 

[Vince W]

Interesting. Many people have difficulty with the first third of the book and find the story picks up after that.

The sequels are not worse, but different from Dune. God Emperor of Dune is often regarded as the low point of the canon books, but again, Frank leaps ahead to a point readers don't initially expect. I think each of the subsequent books are each excellent in their own way. The biggest shame is that Frank never got to complete the final book in the sequence.

 

[Judderman]

At least according to the thread called "Dune series: worth reading" there is a lot of scathing comments on this forum about the later sequels. Particularly on latter ones not written by Frank. Quite positive on Dune:Messiah.

 

[Judderman]

Interesting. Many people have difficulty with the first third of the book and find the story picks up after that.

I enjoyed the parts with Paul getting trained early on, and his relationship with his parents. Duke Leto seemed impressive. Also enjoyable to read about the Baron's grand plans. That disappears for a while when Paul first goes to the desert. I just found the water conservation mantra a bit repetitive, and the stuff about Paul gazing in to the future possibilities too abstract to be very interesting. Ok, Ok he is super powerful and clearly going to achieve whatever he likes...

Reminds me of "Daughter of the Empire" by Feist when after a while you know the girl is going to say exactly the right line to her political opponents at every major encounter to get the best outcome.

One thing I didn't quite grasp is all the talk about being human. Like normal people in this universe don't qualify as human. It is some kind of symbol of purity.

 

[Vince W]

I enjoyed the parts with Paul getting trained early on, and his relationship with his parents. Duke Leto seemed impressive. Also enjoyable to read about the Baron's grand plans. That disappears for a while when Paul first goes to the desert. But I just found the stuff about Paul gazing in to the future possibilities too abstract to be interesting. Ok, Ok he is super powerful and clearly going to achieve whatever he likes...

One thing I didn't quite grasp is all the talk about being human. Like normal people in this universe don't qualify as human.

The idea that you could test for humans was a Bene Gesserit construct. The idea that humans are superior to animals and the endurance of suffering is a way to test for humanity. I think Herbert used that idea as a way to illustrate the fact that Paul was 'superior' to the average person. It was the Bene Gesserit that thought the general populace were perhaps less human than the ones selected by them for breeding, not the rest of the universe.

 

[Vince W]

At least according to the thread called "Dune series: worth reading" there is a lot of scathing comments on this forum about the later sequels. Particularly on latter ones not written by Frank. Quite positive on Dune:Messiah.

I wouldn't waste your time with the books 'written' by Bobo and Teh Hack. They're all drek.