A review by blyndwolf
Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Definitely the most challenging book I've ever read in terms of the sheer density of the thing! That being said, it was digestible enough to thoroughly enjoy, and I really enjoyed exploring this incredibly in-depth universe; especially the philosophy elements! It's almost like Herbert created this entire universe just for the philosophy. It's insanely thorough and thoughtful beyond words. Every action and thought of every character is illustrated beautifully; no element escapes description. This is a literary masterpiece for sure.

I think it can be universally said that the beginning of this book is hard to chew; there is a lot of worldbuilding and lore thrust at you, and a lot of characters to remember. If you grind through it, it doesn't take long before everything starts falling into place, and you wonder how you were ever lost. I will say, though, that this book should get a medal for the amount of times it made me fall asleep. I think I fell asleep over 20 times while reading it; not because it was boring, but because it was so dense. One scene might take 30+ minutes to read, due to the high level of description and detail. The plot also slows down quite a bit in the centre of the book and doesn't pick up again until you're ~80% of the way through
when Paul is reunited with Gurney Halleck
. I also feel like the ending was a bit rushed. 

All in all, I'm super glad I decided to pick up Dune and am absolutely gassed for the movie coming out in October!! I will be there!
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