Book Review: Dune by Frank Herbert

“It’s the look of terrible awareness, she thought, of someone forced to the knowledge of his own mortality. He was, indeed, no longer a child.”

Frank Herbert, Dune

Review:

For some reason, I’ve been drawn to this book. The length of not only the book but also the number of books in the series terrifies me. I tried to resist, alas, here I am now.

Straight away, we are introduced to Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, and the history of the Bene Gesserit. Paul is an unusual figure given that the Bene Gesserit women strictly produce females. There is a suspicion that he may be the ‘Kwisatz Haderach’, but Paul doesn’t understand the gravity of what this means until much later on.

The world-building is a bit slower than the discussion of politics, which is present on nearly every page. At first, I was absorbed into the world, but once I was about a fourth of the way into the book, I was on information overload. Multiple narrations are going on without any organization or rhythm, along with a lot of interior monologue (to the point where it was irritating). 

Honestly, I don’t think I retained much. I was so focused on scanning for what was an important detail that I ended up not allowing myself to get immersed. I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series or not. If I do, I will probably reread this one as an audiobook first. I’d also like to give the movies a go, because the core plot itself is interesting. I think I need the visuals. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Layered plot.
• Great setting.

What I didn’t like:

• Too many characters, at least for the lack of distinction.
• The internal monologues ruin any element of mystery.

Afterthoughts:

I do regret not sticking to my original plan of listening to this as an audiobook. I stopped by a bookstore when traveling and impulsively purchased the paperback.

Where to buy the book: