 |
 |
November 10, 2017
I finally made it out of the exhausting unending desert! This is how you feel when you finish the epic, remarkable book that is...Dune. I picked up this old paperback on a whim simply because it looked cool and seemed like a novel I should read. Turns out I am a much bigger fan of sword and sorcery fantasy than I am world-building sci-fi with mind-bogglingly deep political intrigue.
That being said, Dune is a magnificent literary achievement, no doubt. Mr. Herbert’s imagination, attention to detail, and dedication to thoroughness of plot are all phenomenal. The desert covered world of Arrakis (nicknamed Dune), where the story takes place, is an extraordinary creation. So detailed and immersive.
My favorite parts of the novel were the small scenes where Paul (or Muad’Dib as he’s known once he takes his place as the hero of the story) and his mother Jessica were struggling to survive the dangerous rigors of their sand-covered surroundings. Or when Paul was learning to live with the local nomadic Fremen who inhabit Dune. It’s these close up scenes where the story really shined for me.
The big overall arc of the plot, though, was so involved and intricate, it was beyond even my usually focused and alert literary eye. However, as I wrote earlier, I do admire and appreciate the writing expertise of Mr. Herbert. And he didn’t stop with one intimidating Dune novel - it expanded into a multi-book series and I’m pretty sure there’s at least one side series if not more.
So to whom do I recommend this challenging novel? Well you have to be an intense book lover and at least late high school or older. Not that it’s inappropriate--it’s just so complex and laboriously involved. If you or someone you know gobbled up the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and thought, ‘Well that was simple, I need more.’ Take a trip to Dune to see if you can survive the sands!
Happy Reading!
That being said, Dune is a magnificent literary achievement, no doubt. Mr. Herbert’s imagination, attention to detail, and dedication to thoroughness of plot are all phenomenal. The desert covered world of Arrakis (nicknamed Dune), where the story takes place, is an extraordinary creation. So detailed and immersive.
My favorite parts of the novel were the small scenes where Paul (or Muad’Dib as he’s known once he takes his place as the hero of the story) and his mother Jessica were struggling to survive the dangerous rigors of their sand-covered surroundings. Or when Paul was learning to live with the local nomadic Fremen who inhabit Dune. It’s these close up scenes where the story really shined for me.
The big overall arc of the plot, though, was so involved and intricate, it was beyond even my usually focused and alert literary eye. However, as I wrote earlier, I do admire and appreciate the writing expertise of Mr. Herbert. And he didn’t stop with one intimidating Dune novel - it expanded into a multi-book series and I’m pretty sure there’s at least one side series if not more.
So to whom do I recommend this challenging novel? Well you have to be an intense book lover and at least late high school or older. Not that it’s inappropriate--it’s just so complex and laboriously involved. If you or someone you know gobbled up the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and thought, ‘Well that was simple, I need more.’ Take a trip to Dune to see if you can survive the sands!
Happy Reading!