zoomer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pumpkinreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kjzinke's review against another edition
5.0
Since this is one of the forefathers of the genre, I thought some of the tropes would seem tired and overused. I couldn’t be more wrong. It was fresh and captivating, and it completely deserves its place.
burnsj's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to explain how I felt after finishing this science fiction masterpiece. Thrown into the hostile environment of Arrakis with very little explanation...it's almost as if you're left stranded and expected to survive/tread water (or sand, in this case) with what little insight Herbert initially gives you.
While I would normally find this frustrating, I think it actually works in this novel. In the beginning, you're a foreigner on Arrakis, drowning right alongside the Atreides family; by the time you've turned the last page, you no longer feel like an alien in the world of Dune.
And what a fantastic world it is. I doubt I can say any more on the matter which hasn't already been said.
So I won't.
(SANDWORMS!!!)
My only criticism is that I found the characters difficult to relate to--lacking the depth of normal human emotion. The character of Paul, for example, becomes more of a mystery as the story goes on. His transformation from Paul Atreides to Maud'Dib, and Maud'Dib to a prophet and the supposed Kwisatz Haderach leaves him feeling cold--for lack of a better word. By the end of the story he was hardly likeable.
To put it simply, just as you start to understand this crazy environment, the people stop making sense.
However, with that being said, it's hard to say what "normal" human emotion would be for a generation of spice-enhanced people who have adapted their minds to accomplish exceedingly complex tasks. For all I know this was Herbert's intention all along. Dune is an ecological/political/religious story of the "survive" and "conquer" nature; who am I to get hung up on a few unrelatable characters?
While I would normally find this frustrating, I think it actually works in this novel. In the beginning, you're a foreigner on Arrakis, drowning right alongside the Atreides family; by the time you've turned the last page, you no longer feel like an alien in the world of Dune.
And what a fantastic world it is. I doubt I can say any more on the matter which hasn't already been said.
So I won't.
(SANDWORMS!!!)
My only criticism is that I found the characters difficult to relate to--lacking the depth of normal human emotion. The character of Paul, for example, becomes more of a mystery as the story goes on. His transformation from Paul Atreides to Maud'Dib, and Maud'Dib to a prophet and the supposed Kwisatz Haderach leaves him feeling cold--for lack of a better word. By the end of the story he was hardly likeable.
To put it simply, just as you start to understand this crazy environment, the people stop making sense.
However, with that being said, it's hard to say what "normal" human emotion would be for a generation of spice-enhanced people who have adapted their minds to accomplish exceedingly complex tasks. For all I know this was Herbert's intention all along. Dune is an ecological/political/religious story of the "survive" and "conquer" nature; who am I to get hung up on a few unrelatable characters?
okcooger's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
grogancp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
ajulian95's review against another edition
4.0
Second try reading this went much better - the movie really helped me understand the world. The first half dragged on and then the second half felt rushed so it could definitely have done with some better pacing. I'm hoping the movie sequel delves into the second half and draws it out more. Also ended abruptly and I'm going to have to read the sequel.
Minor complaints aside, it is a super complex and cool story and I enjoyed the characters. I love reading it while the movies are coming out because it makes me appreciate getting the visuals. Would recommend but watch the movie first or you'll give up after one chapter like I did at first.
Minor complaints aside, it is a super complex and cool story and I enjoyed the characters. I love reading it while the movies are coming out because it makes me appreciate getting the visuals. Would recommend but watch the movie first or you'll give up after one chapter like I did at first.
aricopeland678's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
callmesunday's review against another edition
It was just too dry and boring to me. It's been more than a year since I put this book down, and I have not felt the need to read it between then and now.
kmconrad37's review against another edition
4.0
Dune felt very slow to start, and as a result the minutiea of the first section really made it difficult for me to dive into and engross myself in - which is why this book took me so long to read.
It definitely picks up later on and that's where it really drew me in. I thoroughly enjoyed the back half of the book.
That being said, I'm sure there is stuff that I missed and it's most likely worth a re-read to pick up on the details I missed.
It definitely picks up later on and that's where it really drew me in. I thoroughly enjoyed the back half of the book.
That being said, I'm sure there is stuff that I missed and it's most likely worth a re-read to pick up on the details I missed.