NEW-Dune

by Herbert Frank

Brand New Deliver In 6-18 Working Days

Genres: Science Fiction

592 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Nura Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to finally read Dune as, on paper, this is exactly the genre and the pompousness I like.

Unfortunately it’s just a 3.5 for me. I found it rather boring.
The storyline is excellent, the execution though is way below expectations.

I loved the subtle protest and history of the Middle East, and how the spice can be seen as oil, the black gold, that carries infinite power and profit to those who can get hold of its production.

Although the too rich symbolism, the made-up jargon, many of the long descriptions of scenery and worms are pedantic and absolutely unnecessary. Sometimes it was difficult to understand the role played by the creatures, as the writing lacks clarity.

The appendix parts at the end dragged me into the kingdom of boredom even more - when they should have helped shedding some lights on the obscure jargon spread over 500+ pages.

I found also the characters roles and their hierarchy quite dated. Why the Bene Gesserit, a female-only order, would plan for a male Messiah to be born? It was written in 1966, true, but I suppose it didn’t age as well as other sci-fi works.

I will read Dune Messiah, truly hoping it gets better, and would still recommend it for its original storyline. But I’m disappointed nonetheless.

[Nicky van Botten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vergeleken met het boek is de film een trailer.

[Siâny D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if I hadn’t seen the films multiple times then I’d have found this to be more work than it was worth BUT because I knew the context I could follow it pretty easily. I loved that the smaller details differed and added to what I already knew and I was just completely immersed the entire time. Written so seriously & solidly & intricately that it didn’t feel like fiction…kind of like nothing else I’ve ever read?

[Adomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magnificent sci-fi novel that explores imperialism, capitalism and exploitation. Herbert does a great job of creating engaging dialogue which illustrates the strained relationships between characters, however can sometimes feel weighed down by jargon. Once the world-building settles down, Herbert’s writing speaks for itself. I almost feel more excited to read the sequel than when I picked up this book.

[Oliver Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw the film. Immediately bought the book. Chomped through it like a giant space worm writhing through the sand. Unparalleled Sci-Fi fantasy goodness. Bring on Dune Messiah.

[Bekkie Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

Frank Herbert was far ahead of his time with this sci-fi masterpiece, written in 1965. Following the life of Paul Atreides, moving from his home planet of Canadian to the desert planet of Arrakis (Dune) when his father is ordered by the emperor to take over stewardship of the planet (from House Harkonnen) and thus control of spice. However, the Harkonnens then murder Duke Leto Atreides, forcing his combine Jessica to flee into the desert unknown with Paul. They come across the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis and vow to learn their ways and eventually lead the Fremen into war against the great noble houses. Many legends and prophecies encircle Paul whilst in Fremen and Bene Gesserit company - will he live up to what they prophecise him to be?

How he managed to create this world in such great detail, with deep characters and language amazes me. There are different POVs throughout; enabling you to see what the villains are planning in the background, exciting for the reader. Thankfully Herbert has a glossary at the back as some of the language used is unknown, but this helps transport you into his world.

A must-read original for sci-fi lovers 🌕🌑

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic 'hero story arc'.

Likes:
+ some sections are quite entertaining, with almost cinematographic descriptions
+ I found some of the parallels between Arrakis, the fictional planet where the story takes place, and the Middle East (incl. references to 'jihad') quite interesting.

Dislikes:
+ in some parts the prose is quite unclear, with a few "what am I reading??" moments :)
+ the author seems to like to write 'thought bubbles' in italics ('he's becoming a man so fast') which I found a bit annoying.

[Katie Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching the Dune movies and series definitely helped me to picture the characters more and the scenes more, and understand a bit more about what is going on. The dune parts 1 & 2 movies were very good but there are a lot of differences between them. The characters for the movies are almost entirely different, but I still enjoyed the book. This is the first book of this size I have managed to stick to and complete. Now I move to the second book and plan to buy the other 4 books in the first section of the Dune series.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very difficult to read for me. But after a few chapters, I finally got into it. Books are always better than movies, and this one did not disappoint either. I'd give it more than 5 stars if it was possible.

[Alphacrestor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great scifi classic, deserves all the prais it gets. Itis sooo well written and the thought life of the characters are so beatifuly described. Looking forward to watching the movies!

[Anna Lluna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can plough on through thick descriptions in the beginning it gets very good. Significantly more interesting and entertaining than the films.

[Lauren Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading Dune, it would’ve been a harder read if I hadn’t already seen the films.

[Stewart Somerville · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book so hard to read. I don’t know if it’s because I was trying to follow the movie storyline but it seemed to do a lot of jumping about. Still a good story but I just found it tough.

[Reece Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5/10

I’ll preface this review that I went into reading this with the knowledge of the world and characters through both recent Dune films, which helped to understand the terminology and lore massively.

Dune is just surreal. The world building is incredibly dense that you really get a sense of escapism reading this. The characters are really deep, there’s a lot of internal conflict within characters that just elevate this from any regular sci-fi novel. But Herbert’s Dune really focuses primarily on themes of religion and politics; and the consequences of a messiah figure in society. It’s a book that you need to read between the lines on and one I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed.

I just cannot fathom how one man created this world within his mind, bafflingly creative. With ~ 100 pages remaining, I’d already ordered ‘Dune: Messiah’ which only alludes to how much I enjoyed this. 10/10.