Hardcover, 720 pages
English language
Published Feb. 14, 1987 by Berkley.
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the "spice" melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul's family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
I enjoyed the SciaFi classic just as much this time as when I first read it thirty years ago. Back then, I did not care as much for the couple of sequels I read, but the original book is gripping from beginning to end. The loose parallel to the Arab Revolt is not historically on point, but the novel is nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable page turner.
I made this so much harder for myself by just sitting down and starting to read (in my defense, it's an old edition from 1984, ripped and damaged in the first few pages so it seemed the most gentle way forward was to open and begin) so I did NOT see there was supplementary material at the back that could spell out geography and definitions. instead, I used the story to provide clues as to what these made-up words meant. And having seen the original movie more than 20 years ago (where I was both bewildered and bored), I DID have a framework to place the details as they emerged, otherwise it would have been near impossible for me to press on in this task (ok, ok, I set a goal to read the damn thing before I watched the Timothy Chamolet version and my hold at the library is …
I made this so much harder for myself by just sitting down and starting to read (in my defense, it's an old edition from 1984, ripped and damaged in the first few pages so it seemed the most gentle way forward was to open and begin) so I did NOT see there was supplementary material at the back that could spell out geography and definitions. instead, I used the story to provide clues as to what these made-up words meant. And having seen the original movie more than 20 years ago (where I was both bewildered and bored), I DID have a framework to place the details as they emerged, otherwise it would have been near impossible for me to press on in this task (ok, ok, I set a goal to read the damn thing before I watched the Timothy Chamolet version and my hold at the library is coming up so maybe I wouldn't have actually given up, just skimmed a whole lot)
And it's fantasy. C'mon, it's even compared to Lord of the Rings; it is not science fiction. sure, it's a commentary about the environment and capitalism and eugenics, but fantasy must do commentary too?
The whole story and world is such a vast and complex system. It often felt like some kind of bible story, which is very much on purpose, especially with those intro texts to every chapter. I did enjoy reading it, though it didn't pull me in as much as other books did. I'm not going to read the other books though, that's just too much for me.
It feels wrong, but that's kinda it. There's not much else to say there for me, I'm content with what I read and that's it. Nothing stuck in my mind, the protagonist felt a bit too predictable for my taste. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's just like those epic stories about this hero and his adventures.
I would recommend this one though, I think it had a nice pacing, twists, character development and rich personalities. I get why some would …
The whole story and world is such a vast and complex system. It often felt like some kind of bible story, which is very much on purpose, especially with those intro texts to every chapter. I did enjoy reading it, though it didn't pull me in as much as other books did. I'm not going to read the other books though, that's just too much for me.
It feels wrong, but that's kinda it. There's not much else to say there for me, I'm content with what I read and that's it. Nothing stuck in my mind, the protagonist felt a bit too predictable for my taste. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's just like those epic stories about this hero and his adventures.
I would recommend this one though, I think it had a nice pacing, twists, character development and rich personalities. I get why some would have the urge to read every single book and why this is one of the classics, but I'm just okay with this one and watching the movies.
