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Dune #1-6
Dune Complete Series Set, 6 Books
Perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike—this eBook collection includes all six original novels in the Dune Saga written by Frank Herbert.
DUNE IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.
In the far future, on a remote planet, an epic adventure awaits. Here are the first six novels of Frank Herbert’s magnificent Dune saga—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction series of all time.
The Dune Saga begins on the desert planet Arrakis with the story of the boy Paul Atreides—who would become known as Muad’Dib—and of a great family’s ambition to bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream....
Includes Books 1 - 6: DUNE • DUNE MESSIAH • CHILDREN OF DUNE • GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE • HERETICS OF DUNE • CHAPTERHOUSE: DUNE
DUNE IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.
In the far future, on a remote planet, an epic adventure awaits. Here are the first six novels of Frank Herbert’s magnificent Dune saga—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction series of all time.
The Dune Saga begins on the desert planet Arrakis with the story of the boy Paul Atreides—who would become known as Muad’Dib—and of a great family’s ambition to bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream....
Includes Books 1 - 6: DUNE • DUNE MESSIAH • CHILDREN OF DUNE • GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE • HERETICS OF DUNE • CHAPTERHOUSE: DUNE
3072 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2012
6702 people are currently reading
4114 people want to read
About the author
Frank Herbert
549 books16.3k followersFranklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
August 5, 2021
4,5!
Confesso que engatei ali na metade, algumas partes foram tão longas que acabaram ficando cansativas. O universo de Duna é incrivel, as descrições da geografia e ecologia do planeta que não estão ali somente para ilustrar, mas servem como suporte pras dicussões sociais presentes no livro, como a escassez da água. As especiarias que movem a economia, que dão suporte ao imperio e é objeto de discussão politica e social, junto com a religião e a espiritualidade que são presentes desde o inicio mas ficam mais fortes da metade para o final, são pontos principais no livro e regem toda a historia. Enfim, Lady Jessica entre na minha casa e me de um golpe com seu gom jabbar!
Obs.: Para quem se interessa em música, escutem o album da Grimes inspirado em Duna: "Geidi Prime".
Confesso que engatei ali na metade, algumas partes foram tão longas que acabaram ficando cansativas. O universo de Duna é incrivel, as descrições da geografia e ecologia do planeta que não estão ali somente para ilustrar, mas servem como suporte pras dicussões sociais presentes no livro, como a escassez da água. As especiarias que movem a economia, que dão suporte ao imperio e é objeto de discussão politica e social, junto com a religião e a espiritualidade que são presentes desde o inicio mas ficam mais fortes da metade para o final, são pontos principais no livro e regem toda a historia. Enfim, Lady Jessica entre na minha casa e me de um golpe com seu gom jabbar!
Obs.: Para quem se interessa em música, escutem o album da Grimes inspirado em Duna: "Geidi Prime".
March 23, 2021
I'll be brief and kind:
The first Book is iconic, a must read. I cannot believe it took me so long to make time to read it. Dune moves fast and practically obliges you to read the sequel. The first two books are fast paced and action oriented. After that, honestly so much is more philosophical musings by powerful futuristic characters. You will want to quit or regret reading possibly.
Here's the warning, each sequel makes you curious enough to keep going.
If you can stop at Book 1 or 2, stop.
I may re-read the first 3 someday but I am certain I will never re-read the rest.
The first Book is iconic, a must read. I cannot believe it took me so long to make time to read it. Dune moves fast and practically obliges you to read the sequel. The first two books are fast paced and action oriented. After that, honestly so much is more philosophical musings by powerful futuristic characters. You will want to quit or regret reading possibly.
Here's the warning, each sequel makes you curious enough to keep going.
If you can stop at Book 1 or 2, stop.
I may re-read the first 3 someday but I am certain I will never re-read the rest.
February 2, 2020
Dune – the first six books.
Frank Herbert’s Dune is a Science Fiction benchmark: one of those books that stand out from the crowd. It’s also apparently the best-selling SF novel of all time, and has kicked off a swathe of sequels and prequels that take the history of Herbert’s Universe thousands of years in either direction (past and forward, if you’re inclined to question the direction of time).
All good reasons to read it, especially if (like me) you’re a writer yourself, and to ask – how did that happen? After all we’d all like to emulate the success of Dune, or at least, skim a little off the top.
Strangely, though, I’ve never actually read it until recently – it was always one of those things that I intended to do, but never quite got round to. Until I picked up the ‘Gateway’ Kindle edition that included all of the first six Dune novels (for a bargain price), and read through them all. Always with the question in the back of my mind, what made Dune so special?
Was it, perhaps, the sheer epic scope, or the effective world building that underlays the story? Dune itself introduces us to a vast interstellar Empire, with politics, economics and history all woven in to give it depth and substance. Over the following novels we see how the events of Dune and their consequences bring change on a huge scale.
But others have done epic and world building just as well, perhaps better. Asimov’s Foundation series preceded Dune and had a similar scale. Vernor Vinge, for my money, does epic better than anyone else. So what else has Dune got?
Well, it has depth. Certainly more than many SF novels. It’s noticeable that, although Herbert was very particular about documenting the effects of technology on human societies, he skimmed over the details about how these things actually worked. (There’s not a single description of a starship in the whole six volumes, unless I missed it!). He was interested in far more profound matters, like (for example) the future of the human race (and what is human anyway?).
There is quite a lot of philosophising involved. With some writers, I might have suspected this of being mere padding, just there to add to the atmosphere – but Herbert had credentials, he thought deeply and wrote accordingly. Perhaps a bit too deeply. I confess to having skipped some of these passages, and ones that I read through I didn’t always understand. Herbert may well have been profound, but for me he was also obscure at times. The dividing line between the two is often unclear, particularly as it is set differently for each of us, and it may well be that those things that I would have edited out for the sake of story pace, are the very things that made the Dune series so powerful for some people.
As a Christian, I was particularly interested in the religious aspects of Herbert’s universe. It’s all too common for writers in all genre’s to be very superficial in their portrayal of religion, sometimes not even including it in their world building at all. In contrast, religion plays a huge part in Dune and its sequels. However, it is often portrayed in a cynical light. It’s corrupt, or its just a means of manipulating populations.
Herbert was from a Roman Catholic background. He later converted to Buddhism. So he had some personal knowledge of religion and it’s power to control people, and that comes through very strongly. Especially in the actions of the Bene Gesserit, who not only invent religions to serve their own purposes, but who also function in some ways like a religious order themselves – albeit one with no discernible faith in any god.
Yet it is in the Bene Gesserit that we come to see what might be Herbert’s most important message. For after thousands of years of rejecting love as a weakness, through the course of these books they slowly begin to see it as of much greater power and importance than they had realised.
Scope, world building, depth – the Dune books have all of these. They are also noticeable for introducing ecological issues. Nowadays, everybody knows the word, even if they don’t agree on climate change. Back when Dune was published in 1965, this must have been a strange and exciting new idea. Even reading it today I was fascinated by the wonderful imagined life cycle of the great sandworms and their smaller progenitors, the sandtrout: how they could turn an entire world into desert.
In all of this, it shouldn’t be overlooked that the novels are also good reading. Exiting, well plotted and with brilliantly developed characters I was caught up in the story (in spite of the obscure philosophising!). The plot of Dune itself is fairly straightforward: Duke Leto Atreides takes control of the planet (Dune) only to be betrayed by House Harkonnen in alliance with the Emperor. However his son Paul escapes and learns to live in the Desert with the Fremen. Effected by the drug Melange, he gains the ability to see into the future and with this talent leads the Fremen to victory over the Emperor and the Harkonnens. It’s a classic tale of betrayal and justice, good verses evil, the victory of right over wrong.
The following books follow the descendants of Paul Atreides and trace the future history of the human race across thousands of years, with a plethora of heroes, villains, mysteries and dangers along the way. And having finished those six books, I’m glad that there are still more to read!
But does any of this supply the answer to my original question? Does this explain why Dune was – is – so successful?
None of these things, in and of themselves are conclusive. It is a combination of them – plus probably other factors that I’ve overlooked – that made Dune what it was. And also, I think probably timing. 1965 may just have been an ideal time for a book like this, a time when a lot of people were open and receptive to its ideas, its style and its vision.
But maybe there was one other thing. Another factor that somehow resonated with people, which stuck in their minds. A visual image that was with me before I’d even read the book, something picked up through other references, perhaps through the David Lynch film.
Dune conveys to me this incredibly powerful image of giant sandworms powering through the desert sands, with the wild Fremen worm riders on their back.
That has to be the goal for a writer: to create an image like that, a picture which captures the imagination and sticks in the mind. Perhaps that’s what I need to have to write the next Dune!
Frank Herbert’s Dune is a Science Fiction benchmark: one of those books that stand out from the crowd. It’s also apparently the best-selling SF novel of all time, and has kicked off a swathe of sequels and prequels that take the history of Herbert’s Universe thousands of years in either direction (past and forward, if you’re inclined to question the direction of time).
All good reasons to read it, especially if (like me) you’re a writer yourself, and to ask – how did that happen? After all we’d all like to emulate the success of Dune, or at least, skim a little off the top.
Strangely, though, I’ve never actually read it until recently – it was always one of those things that I intended to do, but never quite got round to. Until I picked up the ‘Gateway’ Kindle edition that included all of the first six Dune novels (for a bargain price), and read through them all. Always with the question in the back of my mind, what made Dune so special?
Was it, perhaps, the sheer epic scope, or the effective world building that underlays the story? Dune itself introduces us to a vast interstellar Empire, with politics, economics and history all woven in to give it depth and substance. Over the following novels we see how the events of Dune and their consequences bring change on a huge scale.
But others have done epic and world building just as well, perhaps better. Asimov’s Foundation series preceded Dune and had a similar scale. Vernor Vinge, for my money, does epic better than anyone else. So what else has Dune got?
Well, it has depth. Certainly more than many SF novels. It’s noticeable that, although Herbert was very particular about documenting the effects of technology on human societies, he skimmed over the details about how these things actually worked. (There’s not a single description of a starship in the whole six volumes, unless I missed it!). He was interested in far more profound matters, like (for example) the future of the human race (and what is human anyway?).
There is quite a lot of philosophising involved. With some writers, I might have suspected this of being mere padding, just there to add to the atmosphere – but Herbert had credentials, he thought deeply and wrote accordingly. Perhaps a bit too deeply. I confess to having skipped some of these passages, and ones that I read through I didn’t always understand. Herbert may well have been profound, but for me he was also obscure at times. The dividing line between the two is often unclear, particularly as it is set differently for each of us, and it may well be that those things that I would have edited out for the sake of story pace, are the very things that made the Dune series so powerful for some people.
As a Christian, I was particularly interested in the religious aspects of Herbert’s universe. It’s all too common for writers in all genre’s to be very superficial in their portrayal of religion, sometimes not even including it in their world building at all. In contrast, religion plays a huge part in Dune and its sequels. However, it is often portrayed in a cynical light. It’s corrupt, or its just a means of manipulating populations.
Herbert was from a Roman Catholic background. He later converted to Buddhism. So he had some personal knowledge of religion and it’s power to control people, and that comes through very strongly. Especially in the actions of the Bene Gesserit, who not only invent religions to serve their own purposes, but who also function in some ways like a religious order themselves – albeit one with no discernible faith in any god.
Yet it is in the Bene Gesserit that we come to see what might be Herbert’s most important message. For after thousands of years of rejecting love as a weakness, through the course of these books they slowly begin to see it as of much greater power and importance than they had realised.
Scope, world building, depth – the Dune books have all of these. They are also noticeable for introducing ecological issues. Nowadays, everybody knows the word, even if they don’t agree on climate change. Back when Dune was published in 1965, this must have been a strange and exciting new idea. Even reading it today I was fascinated by the wonderful imagined life cycle of the great sandworms and their smaller progenitors, the sandtrout: how they could turn an entire world into desert.
In all of this, it shouldn’t be overlooked that the novels are also good reading. Exiting, well plotted and with brilliantly developed characters I was caught up in the story (in spite of the obscure philosophising!). The plot of Dune itself is fairly straightforward: Duke Leto Atreides takes control of the planet (Dune) only to be betrayed by House Harkonnen in alliance with the Emperor. However his son Paul escapes and learns to live in the Desert with the Fremen. Effected by the drug Melange, he gains the ability to see into the future and with this talent leads the Fremen to victory over the Emperor and the Harkonnens. It’s a classic tale of betrayal and justice, good verses evil, the victory of right over wrong.
The following books follow the descendants of Paul Atreides and trace the future history of the human race across thousands of years, with a plethora of heroes, villains, mysteries and dangers along the way. And having finished those six books, I’m glad that there are still more to read!
But does any of this supply the answer to my original question? Does this explain why Dune was – is – so successful?
None of these things, in and of themselves are conclusive. It is a combination of them – plus probably other factors that I’ve overlooked – that made Dune what it was. And also, I think probably timing. 1965 may just have been an ideal time for a book like this, a time when a lot of people were open and receptive to its ideas, its style and its vision.
But maybe there was one other thing. Another factor that somehow resonated with people, which stuck in their minds. A visual image that was with me before I’d even read the book, something picked up through other references, perhaps through the David Lynch film.
Dune conveys to me this incredibly powerful image of giant sandworms powering through the desert sands, with the wild Fremen worm riders on their back.
That has to be the goal for a writer: to create an image like that, a picture which captures the imagination and sticks in the mind. Perhaps that’s what I need to have to write the next Dune!
April 25, 2021
Depois de vinte anos, reli Duna. Na época, fiquei, acima de tudo, fascinado pelo universo criado por Frank Herbert. E fiquei chocado, no bom sentido, como Herbert subverteu o tropo da jornada do herói de uma maneira tão poderosa. Mas, por outro lado, me decepcionei com o ritmo irregular do texto, com passagens longas demais ou resolvidas muito rapidamente, e com a falta de desenvolvimento de personagens importantes. No final das contas, para mim, as grandes ideias do livro superavam a narrativa.
Nessa releitura, constato que Duna continua atual e relevante, porém é ainda uma obra problemática, num sentido mais profundo.
Publicado em 1965, Duna foi um livro muito à frente do seu tempo para a ficção científica. Ou talvez exatamente para o tempo em que foi lançado. Os anos 60 das contestações sociais e da new wave da ficção científica britânica. Sem dúvida, o livro foi algo bem fora da curva na FC americana daquele período, geralmente focada em ambientes e personagens que refletiam o american way of life branco heteronormativo, mesmo que as histórias se passassem em galáxias distantes.
Numa leitura de hoje, Duna continua uma obra problemática, com sua inescapável posição subserviente da mulher (as últimas linhas do romance são vergonhosas), a gordofobia e homofobia encarnadas na figura do barão Harkonnen, o arco do dr.Yueh, como representação de uma pessoa claramente asiática, e a própria assimilação dos fremen, como um povo "árabe" que pode ser manipulado com certa facilidade.
Contudo, as reflexões de Duna sobre política e ecologia permanecem na pauta do dia. Uma das questões que sempre se levantou a respeito do livro era se se tratava de um caso de white savior, do salvador branco que toma o protagonismo do destino de minorias. Na verdade, não exatamente. A questão de Paul com os fremen é outra, de dominação, de como membros da elite tratam a população em geral, o que tem mais a ver com populismo e fanatismo. Nisso Herbert foi muito bem sucedido em suas intenções, que eram ainda mais específicas, relacionando-as com a exploração ocidental de outras culturas. É a razão de ser de Duna. Um clássico que influenciou tantas outras obras da cultura pop e que mantem sua importância.
Nessa releitura, constato que Duna continua atual e relevante, porém é ainda uma obra problemática, num sentido mais profundo.
Publicado em 1965, Duna foi um livro muito à frente do seu tempo para a ficção científica. Ou talvez exatamente para o tempo em que foi lançado. Os anos 60 das contestações sociais e da new wave da ficção científica britânica. Sem dúvida, o livro foi algo bem fora da curva na FC americana daquele período, geralmente focada em ambientes e personagens que refletiam o american way of life branco heteronormativo, mesmo que as histórias se passassem em galáxias distantes.
Numa leitura de hoje, Duna continua uma obra problemática, com sua inescapável posição subserviente da mulher (as últimas linhas do romance são vergonhosas), a gordofobia e homofobia encarnadas na figura do barão Harkonnen, o arco do dr.Yueh, como representação de uma pessoa claramente asiática, e a própria assimilação dos fremen, como um povo "árabe" que pode ser manipulado com certa facilidade.
Contudo, as reflexões de Duna sobre política e ecologia permanecem na pauta do dia. Uma das questões que sempre se levantou a respeito do livro era se se tratava de um caso de white savior, do salvador branco que toma o protagonismo do destino de minorias. Na verdade, não exatamente. A questão de Paul com os fremen é outra, de dominação, de como membros da elite tratam a população em geral, o que tem mais a ver com populismo e fanatismo. Nisso Herbert foi muito bem sucedido em suas intenções, que eram ainda mais específicas, relacionando-as com a exploração ocidental de outras culturas. É a razão de ser de Duna. Um clássico que influenciou tantas outras obras da cultura pop e que mantem sua importância.
February 2, 2025
It took me more than a year to read the entire dune sage. It was a challenging read and I wanted to stop at times, especially during the more philosophical parts but finishing it was ultimately worth it.
Frank Herbert is a master of world building. He creates a wonderfully complex universe that is inhabited by rich characters full of depth. Most importantly, he takes his audience serious, expertly hinting at some things but never in such a was as to immediately reveal what is to follow. I was genuinely surprised by the inevitable plot twists and, like the characters in these instances, found myself confused in the light of insufficient knowledge.
All Dune stories are characterized by intelligent insights into power, society, politics, evolution, ecology and religion. He is focused on the big picture, does not get lost in the details of a certain technology but instead focuses on the consequences these have for society and humankind.
Frank Herbert is a master of world building. He creates a wonderfully complex universe that is inhabited by rich characters full of depth. Most importantly, he takes his audience serious, expertly hinting at some things but never in such a was as to immediately reveal what is to follow. I was genuinely surprised by the inevitable plot twists and, like the characters in these instances, found myself confused in the light of insufficient knowledge.
All Dune stories are characterized by intelligent insights into power, society, politics, evolution, ecology and religion. He is focused on the big picture, does not get lost in the details of a certain technology but instead focuses on the consequences these have for society and humankind.
March 27, 2020
"Não posso fazer nem as coisas mais simples sem que se tornem uma lenda."
Duna foi uma leitura muito boa, fluiu muito bem. As nomenclaturas são difíceis de se acostumar, mas o universo criado, cada pequeno ato nos mostrando a importância da água para um planeta inteiro é sem igual.
Porém sendo um livro bem grande eu senti como se os personagens não tivessem amadurecimento, um momento ele são algo e no passar de dois parágrafos eles são outro. A passagem de tempo também me incomodou bastante, você perde o que é mais prometido no livro que são as mudanças que o herói levaria para todo esse povo e tudo que ele aprenderia com eles também, e eu não senti isso de maneira nenhuma além do que autor jogou.
Eu passei a maior parte do livro sem me apegar a nenhum personagem, porque nenhum além de Jessika e Paul realmente tinham seus pensamentos desecados, Chani foi praticamente uma peça sem personalidade sem nada.
A visão de Jessika sobre mulheres me incomodou muito, e sim eu entendo o contexto, mas do nada ela muda de ideia sobre Chani o que fracamente é irritante (e acontece o tempo todo), além de que a última frase dela é francamente patética e vergonhosa.
São tantas páginas mas existe tantos buracos na história, pequenas coisas que acontecem do nada sem uma explicação nenhuma. É irritante. Tenho muitas perguntas ainda, e vejo que terei que reler várias vezes para acompanhar os nuances que posso ter perdido na primeira leitura.
Duna foi uma leitura muito boa, fluiu muito bem. As nomenclaturas são difíceis de se acostumar, mas o universo criado, cada pequeno ato nos mostrando a importância da água para um planeta inteiro é sem igual.
Porém sendo um livro bem grande eu senti como se os personagens não tivessem amadurecimento, um momento ele são algo e no passar de dois parágrafos eles são outro. A passagem de tempo também me incomodou bastante, você perde o que é mais prometido no livro que são as mudanças que o herói levaria para todo esse povo e tudo que ele aprenderia com eles também, e eu não senti isso de maneira nenhuma além do que autor jogou.
Eu passei a maior parte do livro sem me apegar a nenhum personagem, porque nenhum além de Jessika e Paul realmente tinham seus pensamentos desecados, Chani foi praticamente uma peça sem personalidade sem nada.
A visão de Jessika sobre mulheres me incomodou muito, e sim eu entendo o contexto, mas do nada ela muda de ideia sobre Chani o que fracamente é irritante (e acontece o tempo todo), além de que a última frase dela é francamente patética e vergonhosa.
São tantas páginas mas existe tantos buracos na história, pequenas coisas que acontecem do nada sem uma explicação nenhuma. É irritante. Tenho muitas perguntas ainda, e vejo que terei que reler várias vezes para acompanhar os nuances que posso ter perdido na primeira leitura.
March 29, 2022
essa foi a primeira leitura finalizada em 2022 (quem acompanhou a saga sabe que foram meses e meses até terminar akdkdk) mas a culpa definitivamente não foi do livro e sim minha, essas pausas longas que fiz durante a leitura acabou me atrapalhando a absorver a história na reta final (não tava me prendendo tanto quanto no início) mas a obra em si é espetacular e muito bem escrita ♡
September 12, 2021
deixando claro que terminei o PRIMEIRO mas essa rede social não tem ele em português sozinho
June 11, 2024
3.7 - The Dune series is an interesting one, and it's definitely a wild ride. The story/ies span over many years and many lifetimes. So much so that we follow new characters every second novel. These books were an amazing commentary on religion, politics, figureheads, and leaders and due to the long timeframe of this series it also provides a great commentary on how we get to the places in time where we have those formidable leaders ruling us.
Dune and Dune: Messiah follows Paul Atreides as his family gains control over the planet Arrakis (Dune).
Dune follows Paul in his youth as his family leaves their home planet to become the new leaders of Arrakis. There is a load of corruption taking place, and tragic backstabbing events lead to the death of Paul's father. Dune wonderfully leads into Dune: Messiah and follows Paul in his adult years. If you didn't already know that Paul wasn't a good guy in the first book you will definitely see it in Messiah.
I think these two books do such a great job of showcasing politics, corruption, and the impacts of such things on youth into their adulthood. Highly recommend.
In Children of Dune we heavily follow Alia and Leto II as they narrate. The events that happen in Children of Dune leave us with Leto II accepting the worm suit and deciding to give himself up to the worms of Dune, preserving him and Dune.
God Emperor of Dune is a fantastic book that really goes in deep on our leaders. Frank Herbert analyses politics and religion and how the figureheads used their words to cause harm which, ultimately, created their power. I really enjoyed the dialogue-heavy aspect of God Emperor. I was expecting things to get violent and weird but they never really did but I still found myself enjoying this one.
These books are still very topical and accurate today, especially with how Frank Herbert views religion and politics. It honestly feels like reading real life at points, especially in God Emperor, with how Leto talks. Amazing dissections.
Heretics of Dune I honestly could've done without, the only benefit of this book is Chapterhouse (sorry not sorry). I didn't care for any of the characters and there wasn't much (if any) action within this book. Nothing picked up and the last 100 pages were just as flat as the rest of the book. I also was hoping for more of a look back so we could move forward with Leto's worms from the end of God Emperor. It takes until the end of Chapterhouse for anything in that regard to be built and (somewhat) come to fruition. I was disappointed by Heretics....
The pacing of Heretics of Dune felt so odd and completely off for me. I was on the last 200 pages of the book and I was wondering what the stakes were, what the exact problem or plan was, and I was wondering when we were going to hit the climax or turning point of the novel. It was just missing the "it" factor the other novels had.
I mean the last 100 pages felt like it could've been the middle of the book.... This one just wasn't for me personally.
After reading Chapterhouse Dune I wish we were able to have the seventh novel that Frank wanted to write because you can feel that this was set-up for it in the end. Overall, Chapterhouse Dune was more enjoyable than Heretics of Dune and it provided a decent inconclusive ending for the series. I feel like it went back to the feel of the first Dune novel finally and I really enjoyed that. The one thing I enjoyed the most about the final novel is that it really didn't feature any one particular character heavily, everyone kind of felt like our main story teller. It was enjoyable to finish the series with.
Dune and Dune: Messiah follows Paul Atreides as his family gains control over the planet Arrakis (Dune).
Dune follows Paul in his youth as his family leaves their home planet to become the new leaders of Arrakis. There is a load of corruption taking place, and tragic backstabbing events lead to the death of Paul's father. Dune wonderfully leads into Dune: Messiah and follows Paul in his adult years. If you didn't already know that Paul wasn't a good guy in the first book you will definitely see it in Messiah.
I think these two books do such a great job of showcasing politics, corruption, and the impacts of such things on youth into their adulthood. Highly recommend.
In Children of Dune we heavily follow Alia and Leto II as they narrate. The events that happen in Children of Dune leave us with Leto II accepting the worm suit and deciding to give himself up to the worms of Dune, preserving him and Dune.
God Emperor of Dune is a fantastic book that really goes in deep on our leaders. Frank Herbert analyses politics and religion and how the figureheads used their words to cause harm which, ultimately, created their power. I really enjoyed the dialogue-heavy aspect of God Emperor. I was expecting things to get violent and weird but they never really did but I still found myself enjoying this one.
These books are still very topical and accurate today, especially with how Frank Herbert views religion and politics. It honestly feels like reading real life at points, especially in God Emperor, with how Leto talks. Amazing dissections.
Heretics of Dune I honestly could've done without, the only benefit of this book is Chapterhouse (sorry not sorry). I didn't care for any of the characters and there wasn't much (if any) action within this book. Nothing picked up and the last 100 pages were just as flat as the rest of the book. I also was hoping for more of a look back so we could move forward with Leto's worms from the end of God Emperor. It takes until the end of Chapterhouse for anything in that regard to be built and (somewhat) come to fruition. I was disappointed by Heretics....
The pacing of Heretics of Dune felt so odd and completely off for me. I was on the last 200 pages of the book and I was wondering what the stakes were, what the exact problem or plan was, and I was wondering when we were going to hit the climax or turning point of the novel. It was just missing the "it" factor the other novels had.
I mean the last 100 pages felt like it could've been the middle of the book.... This one just wasn't for me personally.
After reading Chapterhouse Dune I wish we were able to have the seventh novel that Frank wanted to write because you can feel that this was set-up for it in the end. Overall, Chapterhouse Dune was more enjoyable than Heretics of Dune and it provided a decent inconclusive ending for the series. I feel like it went back to the feel of the first Dune novel finally and I really enjoyed that. The one thing I enjoyed the most about the final novel is that it really didn't feature any one particular character heavily, everyone kind of felt like our main story teller. It was enjoyable to finish the series with.
March 28, 2024
4,5 ⭐
Não há muito o que dizer, pois sinto que não importa o que eu escreva aqui, não será o suficiente; a obra "Duna", escrita por Frank Herbert, mergulha os leitores em um universo vasto e complexo, centrado na história da Casa Atreides, incumbida do governo do árido planeta Arrakis, também conhecido como Duna. Arrakis é o único local onde se encontra o precioso recurso conhecido como "melange" ou "especiaria", uma substância essencial para a navegação interestelar e para a estabilidade do vasto Império Galáctico.
A trama segue o jovem Paul Atreides, figura central da narrativa, enquanto enfrenta uma série de desafios ao tentar se adaptar ao ambiente implacável de Arrakis e às intrincadas intrigas políticas que o cercam. Em meio a um conflito pelo controle da especiaria e do próprio planeta, Paul é confrontado com seus próprios limites e forçado a descobrir seu destino em um cenário de incerteza e perigo.
Embora a narrativa se concentre principalmente em Paul, o autor habilmente entrelaça múltiplos pontos de vista e focos narrativos, proporcionando uma visão panorâmica do universo da história e seus diversos personagens. Destaca-se, entre esses personagens, o protagonismo feminino de Jessica, mãe de Paul, cuja presença e influência demonstram uma força poderosa e multifacetada, desafiando as convenções de gênero mesmo em uma obra datada.
Um dos aspectos mais impressionantes da obra para mim, particularmente, é a habilidade de Herbert em construir personagens complexos e em constante evolução. Paul Atreides, principalmente, passa por uma transformação marcante ao longo do livro, indo de um jovem herdeiro a um líder determinado e visionário. Essa evolução não se limita apenas a Paul, mas se estende a todos os personagens, contribuindo para a riqueza e profundidade do universo ficcional criado por Herbert.
Além disso, a história transcende os limites do gênero da ficção científica ao abordar temas profundos e universais, como política, religião, ecologia e poder. Através de sua narrativa envolvente e de sua rica tapeçaria de ideias, a obra convida os leitores a refletir sobre questões fundamentais da condição humana em um contexto futurista e imaginativo.
Em um todo, "Duna" se destaca como uma obra-prima da ficção científica, que cativa os leitores com sua intrincada trama, seus personagens memoráveis e sua exploração profunda de temas atemporais. A construção meticulosa do universo e a evolução dos personagens ao longo da narrativa demonstram o talento singular de Frank Herbert como escritor e sua capacidade de criar uma obra que perdura através das décadas, continuando a inspirar e fascinar. Ainda penso muito no fato de apenas uma mente ter criado todo esse universo.
Estou extremamente ansiosa para os próximos livros. Paul Atreides, te defenderei até o fim (espero não me arrepender disso rssssss)
Não há muito o que dizer, pois sinto que não importa o que eu escreva aqui, não será o suficiente; a obra "Duna", escrita por Frank Herbert, mergulha os leitores em um universo vasto e complexo, centrado na história da Casa Atreides, incumbida do governo do árido planeta Arrakis, também conhecido como Duna. Arrakis é o único local onde se encontra o precioso recurso conhecido como "melange" ou "especiaria", uma substância essencial para a navegação interestelar e para a estabilidade do vasto Império Galáctico.
A trama segue o jovem Paul Atreides, figura central da narrativa, enquanto enfrenta uma série de desafios ao tentar se adaptar ao ambiente implacável de Arrakis e às intrincadas intrigas políticas que o cercam. Em meio a um conflito pelo controle da especiaria e do próprio planeta, Paul é confrontado com seus próprios limites e forçado a descobrir seu destino em um cenário de incerteza e perigo.
Embora a narrativa se concentre principalmente em Paul, o autor habilmente entrelaça múltiplos pontos de vista e focos narrativos, proporcionando uma visão panorâmica do universo da história e seus diversos personagens. Destaca-se, entre esses personagens, o protagonismo feminino de Jessica, mãe de Paul, cuja presença e influência demonstram uma força poderosa e multifacetada, desafiando as convenções de gênero mesmo em uma obra datada.
Um dos aspectos mais impressionantes da obra para mim, particularmente, é a habilidade de Herbert em construir personagens complexos e em constante evolução. Paul Atreides, principalmente, passa por uma transformação marcante ao longo do livro, indo de um jovem herdeiro a um líder determinado e visionário. Essa evolução não se limita apenas a Paul, mas se estende a todos os personagens, contribuindo para a riqueza e profundidade do universo ficcional criado por Herbert.
Além disso, a história transcende os limites do gênero da ficção científica ao abordar temas profundos e universais, como política, religião, ecologia e poder. Através de sua narrativa envolvente e de sua rica tapeçaria de ideias, a obra convida os leitores a refletir sobre questões fundamentais da condição humana em um contexto futurista e imaginativo.
Em um todo, "Duna" se destaca como uma obra-prima da ficção científica, que cativa os leitores com sua intrincada trama, seus personagens memoráveis e sua exploração profunda de temas atemporais. A construção meticulosa do universo e a evolução dos personagens ao longo da narrativa demonstram o talento singular de Frank Herbert como escritor e sua capacidade de criar uma obra que perdura através das décadas, continuando a inspirar e fascinar. Ainda penso muito no fato de apenas uma mente ter criado todo esse universo.
Estou extremamente ansiosa para os próximos livros. Paul Atreides, te defenderei até o fim (espero não me arrepender disso rssssss)
July 31, 2021
This series consists of 6 novels collected together in one ebook. So I will comment on each novel below:
Dune. Really enjoyable book with a world - Arrakis - and a people native to Arrakis - the Fremen - that are hard and hostile by necessity as a consequence of a chronic insufficiency of water. Basically, Arrakis is one of many planets in an empire governed by an Emperor who distributes rulers to planets as fiefs. Arrakis is, however, the sole supplier of a much coveted spice so, despite being a hostile world to live on, it is crucially important to the economy of the empire.
The story of Dune concerns the rise in importance of a Duke of House Atreides called Paul who's forced to seek refuge after an enemy house - House Harkonnen - destroy Paul's family. Paul's family are ostensibly the ruling family as a fief given to House Atreides by the emperor - a known poison chalice. Of necessity Paul joins the Fremen and becomes a prophet to them and this book describes the politics, religions, ecology and human interactions with multiple interesting characters and factions who are all active in pursuit of their own agendas. Very detailed, exciting and powerfully descriptive the book's plot consists of many layers ranging from individual motivations and actions to detailed philosophies and politics as each protagonist seeks to gain advantage. It is easy to see why this is deemed a classic.
Volume 2 (Dune Messiah) documents the history of Paul Atreides as ruler. Paul's prescience - a consequence of genetic manipulation by the Bene Gesserit - yet near helplessness as the wheels of fate turn leave him unhappy and wanting to stop a religious jihad in his name but unable to do so. Paul does have limited choice and seeks the path of least destruction but plots abound and the book is a brilliantly detailed, intensely atmospheric portrayal of Paul, his sister Alia and his beloved Fremen concubine Chani as they negotiate the dangerous world in which they inhabit and ostensibly rule. Once again, a magnificent book that kept my attention from the first page.
The third book in the series Children of Dune is a history of Paul's and Chani's twins' childhood and in particular the twin called Leto's adventures. Once again the novel is hugely atmospheric, with plenty of plots and counterplots, mystery (who is the mysterious preacher preaching against House Atreides?) as well as a fair portion of mysticism and individuals with special powers as a consequence of massive doses of spice combined with the Bene Gesserit genetic breeding programmes. Leto (the male twin) endures the 'spice test' after being captured by rebel Fremen and realises via his prescient powers that there is only one future out of many possible futures for the saving of mankind, a path he calls 'The Golden Path' even though this single path will not result in an immediate easy future. Meanwhile Alia is possessed by an implacable enemy of House Atreides and plots against the House from within the powerbase of its infrastructure. All in all very enjoyable, very deep and most importantly, very entertaining.
The 4th book of the series, God Emperor of Dune was a really interesting story, building on what had gone before as the now inhuman despot of the Empire, Paul Atriedes, desperately tries to keep humanity on his 'Golden Path,' which he believes via his powers of perception to be the only long term hope for the ongoing survival of humanity. Indeed his prescience has shown him that all other outcomes will be orders of magnitude worse for humanity than the deprivations they endure under his despotic reign. To continue as a species necessarily means changing the underlying biology of the species (men becoming more like women?) via breeding programmes (artificial selection?) without removing the will to survive.
For me what is most impressive is the sheer scale of the novel (and the series) - which is millennia, the intricate detail of Herbert's world(s) and the very different characters that inhabit Arrakis (the centre of the Empire). The interactions of the main characters with their different perspectives and politics result in clashes. These plots and counterplots are compelling reading - who is right? There also appears to be philosophical content - did I see a reference to Plato's theory of forms in one part? All in all very clever and entertaining writing. I have really enjoyed all the novels thus far and look forward to the next book in the series!
The 5th Book - the Heretics of Dune is once again a very impressive story with political factions vying for power on a galactic scale. Hundreds of years have passed since the end of the last book so again we are introduced to a new set of characters, new technologies and abilities. Basically earlier predictions came true and humans scattered as Leto's empire collapsed. Now they are returning and a faction called the Honoured Matres seek control of the old empire. This puts them on a collision course with the Bene Gesserit, the Atreides and other dominant players. So the scene is once more set for political turmoil and some violence (although violence is not a large part of these stories). This was fascinating once more and resulted in a finale that has by no means resolved all the problems but that has made clear the Bene Gesserit strategy for their survival and for taking control of the spice which is still important - but no longer essential - to this universe. A well detailed and entertaining read.
The final book - Chapterhouse Dune - is the 6th in a series that just gets better and better. What a pity this was the last book in the series by Frank Herbert, as he died before it was completed. Yet again this was a fantastic novel with all the usual stuff you expect - fantastic characterisation, intriguing plot lines, politics and philosophy in abundance as the different powers vie for control of the universe and there is even room for romance and war. This novel continues where the 5th novel left off; continuing the tale of the war between the Honoured Matres and the Bene Gesserit with twists and turns galore and the final realisation of Dar's plan. The conclusion of the book left open what would happen in the future so, for example, we don't know whether Dar's plan would work and dissenters to the plan also represent a future challenge to it. Nevertheless the conclusion of the book does hint at how Frank Herbert might have concluded this fantastic saga - after all doesn't history go in circles?
In summary I can't praise this series of 6 novels enough. They have brought me a vast amount of pleasure in the 3 months or so I have taken to read what is a massive collection (3,800 pages on my e-reader with a small font!). It was a major investment of reading time - and well worth every minute spent.
Dune. Really enjoyable book with a world - Arrakis - and a people native to Arrakis - the Fremen - that are hard and hostile by necessity as a consequence of a chronic insufficiency of water. Basically, Arrakis is one of many planets in an empire governed by an Emperor who distributes rulers to planets as fiefs. Arrakis is, however, the sole supplier of a much coveted spice so, despite being a hostile world to live on, it is crucially important to the economy of the empire.
The story of Dune concerns the rise in importance of a Duke of House Atreides called Paul who's forced to seek refuge after an enemy house - House Harkonnen - destroy Paul's family. Paul's family are ostensibly the ruling family as a fief given to House Atreides by the emperor - a known poison chalice. Of necessity Paul joins the Fremen and becomes a prophet to them and this book describes the politics, religions, ecology and human interactions with multiple interesting characters and factions who are all active in pursuit of their own agendas. Very detailed, exciting and powerfully descriptive the book's plot consists of many layers ranging from individual motivations and actions to detailed philosophies and politics as each protagonist seeks to gain advantage. It is easy to see why this is deemed a classic.
Volume 2 (Dune Messiah) documents the history of Paul Atreides as ruler. Paul's prescience - a consequence of genetic manipulation by the Bene Gesserit - yet near helplessness as the wheels of fate turn leave him unhappy and wanting to stop a religious jihad in his name but unable to do so. Paul does have limited choice and seeks the path of least destruction but plots abound and the book is a brilliantly detailed, intensely atmospheric portrayal of Paul, his sister Alia and his beloved Fremen concubine Chani as they negotiate the dangerous world in which they inhabit and ostensibly rule. Once again, a magnificent book that kept my attention from the first page.
The third book in the series Children of Dune is a history of Paul's and Chani's twins' childhood and in particular the twin called Leto's adventures. Once again the novel is hugely atmospheric, with plenty of plots and counterplots, mystery (who is the mysterious preacher preaching against House Atreides?) as well as a fair portion of mysticism and individuals with special powers as a consequence of massive doses of spice combined with the Bene Gesserit genetic breeding programmes. Leto (the male twin) endures the 'spice test' after being captured by rebel Fremen and realises via his prescient powers that there is only one future out of many possible futures for the saving of mankind, a path he calls 'The Golden Path' even though this single path will not result in an immediate easy future. Meanwhile Alia is possessed by an implacable enemy of House Atreides and plots against the House from within the powerbase of its infrastructure. All in all very enjoyable, very deep and most importantly, very entertaining.
The 4th book of the series, God Emperor of Dune was a really interesting story, building on what had gone before as the now inhuman despot of the Empire, Paul Atriedes, desperately tries to keep humanity on his 'Golden Path,' which he believes via his powers of perception to be the only long term hope for the ongoing survival of humanity. Indeed his prescience has shown him that all other outcomes will be orders of magnitude worse for humanity than the deprivations they endure under his despotic reign. To continue as a species necessarily means changing the underlying biology of the species (men becoming more like women?) via breeding programmes (artificial selection?) without removing the will to survive.
For me what is most impressive is the sheer scale of the novel (and the series) - which is millennia, the intricate detail of Herbert's world(s) and the very different characters that inhabit Arrakis (the centre of the Empire). The interactions of the main characters with their different perspectives and politics result in clashes. These plots and counterplots are compelling reading - who is right? There also appears to be philosophical content - did I see a reference to Plato's theory of forms in one part? All in all very clever and entertaining writing. I have really enjoyed all the novels thus far and look forward to the next book in the series!
The 5th Book - the Heretics of Dune is once again a very impressive story with political factions vying for power on a galactic scale. Hundreds of years have passed since the end of the last book so again we are introduced to a new set of characters, new technologies and abilities. Basically earlier predictions came true and humans scattered as Leto's empire collapsed. Now they are returning and a faction called the Honoured Matres seek control of the old empire. This puts them on a collision course with the Bene Gesserit, the Atreides and other dominant players. So the scene is once more set for political turmoil and some violence (although violence is not a large part of these stories). This was fascinating once more and resulted in a finale that has by no means resolved all the problems but that has made clear the Bene Gesserit strategy for their survival and for taking control of the spice which is still important - but no longer essential - to this universe. A well detailed and entertaining read.
The final book - Chapterhouse Dune - is the 6th in a series that just gets better and better. What a pity this was the last book in the series by Frank Herbert, as he died before it was completed. Yet again this was a fantastic novel with all the usual stuff you expect - fantastic characterisation, intriguing plot lines, politics and philosophy in abundance as the different powers vie for control of the universe and there is even room for romance and war. This novel continues where the 5th novel left off; continuing the tale of the war between the Honoured Matres and the Bene Gesserit with twists and turns galore and the final realisation of Dar's plan. The conclusion of the book left open what would happen in the future so, for example, we don't know whether Dar's plan would work and dissenters to the plan also represent a future challenge to it. Nevertheless the conclusion of the book does hint at how Frank Herbert might have concluded this fantastic saga - after all doesn't history go in circles?
In summary I can't praise this series of 6 novels enough. They have brought me a vast amount of pleasure in the 3 months or so I have taken to read what is a massive collection (3,800 pages on my e-reader with a small font!). It was a major investment of reading time - and well worth every minute spent.
July 31, 2024
The Dune Saga Collection contains the six books written by Frank Herbert in his Dune universe. The story in these books spans over thousands of years. You get a great story of epic scope with amazing worldbuilding and intriguing characters. The first book, Dune, introduces an interstellar Empire, with politics, economics, cultures, religion and ecology all woven in it with an enormous depth. All the following books build further on this start. Together they represent a benchmark in Science Fiction, which makes them a must read if you're an avid reader of the genre. Does this mean that you will like these books from the first page to the last? Probably not, I didn’t like everything equally much myself. But they are certainly good enough to give them a try, especially the first one is a must read.
During my read I already commented on each of the six books after having finished them. I've tried to give each book a proper review here below. This wasn't always easy knowing the first four books were read in 2021.
Having finished all the six books now, I think I have a better view of the overall story and a better understanding of some themes and events happening over the whole series. I think this would benefit my reading experience upon a reread in the future (if I ever came to that).
DUNE
This book had almost everything you want from a good sci-fi adventure. It all starts with a good story off course, and that's something you'll definitely find in "Dune". Main focus from the start is House Atreides. Leto Atreides, head of the House, is the ruler of the planet Caladan. He is assigned by Emperor Shaddam IV to serve as fief ruler of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a harsh and inhospitable desert planet, but it has an enormous importance in the galaxy as it's the only planet where melange (spice) can be found. This substance is invaluable as it extends human youth, vitality and lifespan and it's important for safe interstellar space travel. Behind this move is a conspiracy from the Emperor with House Harkonnen due to the rising popularity of Duke Leto. This makes an interesting outset of a story from the start.
This is further backed up by brilliant worldbuilding. Frank Herbert worked long and hard on this novel and a lot of this effort was clearly put into the worldbuilding. A lot of effort was put in the development of Arrakis, mainly it's ecological system and its conditions, but also into the sandworms (who thrive in these surroundings) and its life-cycles. Thought was put into the creation of melange, and how to harvest it. Having the conditions on Arrakis, making it a inhospitable planet, Frank Herbert worked out a way in his worldbuilding to survive and live in these conditions: the stillsuit. He introduced the Fremen on Arrakis, a desert people who have been oppressed for a long time.
But Frank Herbert thought further than this and created a complete Galactic culture, very rich and detailed. To start with, you have the Landsraad. This was the body that represented all the Great Houses and was ruled by the High Council and overseen by the Emperor. You have CHOAM, an economic consortium with a monopoly on space travel. For this they need the Spice, as it allows them to see a short period into the future to plot a safe course before folding space. You have the Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, religious and political force. They are an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman powers and abilities.
So a lot off importance was put on the worldbuilding in the first novel, but you also need a great villain to get a great story off course. The most obvious villain here is Baron Harkonnen, plotting with the emperor to get rid of House Atreides. Where there's a villain, there's also a hero, and in Dune this is Paul Atreides, son of Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. His mother is herself an acolyte of the Bene Gesserit. Other important characters in the Atreides household are soldiers Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck and the Mentat Thufir Hawat (some sort of a human computer). On the side of the Fremen you have Stilgar and Chani.
With all these elements, Dune provides a thrilling story with a lot court intrigue. Does all of this make "Dune" also a perfect book? No, I don't think so, I could give some remarks, but those are easily disregarded by the fun you get from reading this. Hence still my five star rating.
Rating: 5/5
DUNE MESSIAH
This is a direct follow-up for Dune, taking place 12 years after the final events from "Dune". Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides has ruled as Emperor during this time. By accepting the role of messiah to the Fremen, he has unleashed a jihad which has conquered most of the known universe, but has also resulted in the death of billions of people. Viewing this, a conspiracy has been put in place by the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu and the Spacing Guild to remove Paul from his rule. Again an intriguing outset for a story. It contains a lot of politicking, a lot of good dialogue but it's also a bit too preachy and philosophical at times for my liking. Still a very good second novel in the Dune universe.
Besides Paul Atreides we have some other returning characters as well, one of which is very unexpected..
This book is much shorter than the original. The groundworks have been done in the first novel off course and this book can profit from that. This also means it doesn’t have the complexity of the first book, it is much more contained, but it worked perfectly for me. That's why I also give it a four star rating, even though there are some remarks to be given .
Rating: 4/5
CHILDREN OF DUNE
The third book in the Dune sage takes place nine years after Paul Atreides walked off into the desert. The focus in this book lies mainly on the twin children from Paul en Chani, Leto II and Ghanima. There's also an important role for their aunt and guardian Alia. The twins have concluded that she has succumbed to Abomination, possession by her grandfather Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
There's again an assassination plot, this time against the twins, put in place by Princess Wensicia of the fallen House Corrino in an attempt to regain power for her House.
And from the desert comes the enigmatic figure "The Preacher", provoking the fanatical Fremen into open revolt. Some of them believing it's Paul Atreides himself.
So a lot off plot points to work out ... and it worked pretty well. I would put this novel at about the same level as Dune Messiah with again some strong politicking happening. But on the other hand we also have some complicated philosophical and religious concepts being thrown at us which makes it difficult to follow at times. The first two novels also suffered of this, but to a lesser extent.
Rating: 4/5
GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE
This one was for me the weakest book in the series written by Frank Herbert. The problem was mainly that the main focus was too much on introspection, musings and philosophical ranting and almost no effort was put into an actual story. For me substandard and very tedious to read. It was a struggle to get to the ending with all the philosophical speeches. Some of the earlier books already had such speeches, but mostly didn’t go this far along, and those books at least had a decent story which still made it an interesting read. The story of God Emperor was so thin it could have been written in only a fraction of the pages Frank Herbert did now.
The main characters in this book were the God Emperor Leto II, Siona, a descendant of the Atreides family and Duncan Idaho. Honestly, I can’t even remember many other characters that came into play.
Leto II has ruled for 3.500 years at the start of the book. During this time he has terraformed the planet of Arrakis from a desert planet to a green planet, with the exception of the Sareer, a small section of desert retained by Leto himself. As a result of the terraforming, all the Sandworms have died out and spice is no longer available. Leto II controls the remaining supply of spice, and through this he also keeps civilization under his command.
It's because of this tyrannical rule that an underground rebellion has come to ground led by Siona. Through his prescient view, Leto is aware of this. But through the breeding program that Leto has established, he has bred a human strain that is invisible for this view and for (future) prophets in general. Siona is the final result of this. This will be the start of the downfall of Leto II. Throughout the book a lot of focus is also put on the golden path of Leto II. This is the optimal path for humanity as viewed by Leto II with his prescient view. The result of this, after many thousand years of peace, and after the fall of Leto II, is the scattering. The parting of humanity into the farther universe.
It started out pretty good in the first chapter, and I remember myself thinking I was going to like this book. Unfortunately it went downhill from there and I didn't like it in the end. The ending itself was still decent though. Maybe I will like this book better on a reread, but on my first read I couldn’t give this any more than a 2 star rating.
Rating: 2/5
HERETICS OF DUNE
After the god awful ‘God Emperor of Dune’ I still started this one at the end of 2021, and although it wasn’t bad, I didn’t finish it at the timing and finally took a break from Dune. More than two years later, in June 2024, I took this book back up and finished it in less than a month. This was actually a great book. There were still some dry sections in this book that didn’t always hold my interest, but what made it much more interesting was that we did actually have a good story in here. A plus was even that there were a lot of interesting characters contrary to GEoD. Actually all the important characters held my interest. The best addition for me was Bashar Miles Teg, a military genius for the Bene Gesserit.
The result of GEoD was the scattering, the parting of humanity into the galaxy. In HoD, 1.500 year after the death of Leto II, we have the return of “The Lost Ones” from the scattering. The most powerful of these forces are the Honored Matres, a violent society of women bred and trained for combat and the sexual control of men. They are also the new antagonist in the Dune universe.
Also coming much more to the forefront now are the Bene Gesserit. While the earlier books had a focus on House Atreides and their descendants, now the Bene Gesserit have become the focal point in the Dune universe. Other important factions are the Tleilaxu with their Face Dancers and the Ixians with their no-ships, ships that remain invisible to outside detection.
Although the Bene Gesserit, as an entity in the Dune universe, are now the main focus in the story, there are some characters that are certainly as important. On the one hand we have a new Duncan Idaho ghola, who still needs to be awakened. He is being trained by the Bashar Miles Teg on the planet Gammu (former Giedi Prime). He was created by the Tleilaxu, on demand from the Benne Gesserit, but they have their own plans with him as well. On the other hand there's Sheeana, a girl who can control the giant sandworms on Rakis. The Bene Gesserit hope to gain control of her and the religion that will inevitably form around her. However other factions try to control her as well.
This provides a lot of plot points through the story, again a lot of politicking in which each faction tries to gain something from the others. It's not always 100% clear what the goal is of each of these plot points or what each of these factions try to accomplish, but I thought this was still a very good novel in the series. I enjoyed this a lot, one of the better ones!
Rating: 4.5/5
CHAPTERHOUSE: DUNE
After the great Heretics of Dune I had high expectations for Chapterhouse, but unfortunately these weren’t (completely) met.
With the introduction in the previous book of the Honored Matres as antagonist, and the ending we got in Heretics, I expected something in the same vein for Chapterhouse. Contrary to Heretics, where we did get a lot of action and suspense, Chapterhouse is very slow to start with. We have a lot of internal monologues of characters during this book or conversations between characters that are often topped with too much philosophical ranting. This isn’t the case during the whole book, and it certainly isn’t as bad as with GEOD, but it’s often enough to take away from the flow of the book. Too often I lost my interest in it or it just went completely over my head.
We still have a decent story here, something we barely got in GEoD. The Honored Matres have gained much more influence in the universe after their return from the scattering and the Bene Gesserit are forced into hiding. Multiple Bene Gesserit planets have already been located and have been destroyed with the loss of many Bene Gesserit as a result. Chapterhouse still remains a secret for the Honored Matres. It’s from here that the Bene Gesserit plan their next move and will try to strike back. All this under the leadership of Mother Superior Odrade, also one of the main pov’s in the book. This means that the outset of the story is there, the execution just didn’t live up to the one in Heretics.
As we go along toward the end, the suspense does rise and we do get some action. Even long before the ending there are some good chapters to read, but not enough to give this a great rating. I am left with a feeling this could have been much better with the right alterations. Adding some action sequences here and there could have made it much more compelling from the start. I'm thinking off a chapter on the loss of Lampadas and what happened there. Omitting some parts would also have helped the flow a bit. In the end this is still a good book, but one of my least favorite in the saga.
Rating: 3.5/5
Conclusion:
As I mentioned before this is a must read for sci-fi readers. If I had the time, I would definitely reread this series at some point, but with all the books on my reading list I'm not sure I will ever come to that. I think my enjoyment of these book would profit of a reread with the full knowledge I have after finishing all six of them.
Does this also mean I'll continue the series with the books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson? I'm not sure. Initially, before I was well underway reading these books, I would have thought I wouldn't continue reading after finishing the main series by Frank Herbert. Now I'm in doubt. There's an itch remaining, so maybe I'll plunge into the final two books at some point (Hunters of Dune / Sandworms of Dune). I do have doubts these books will approach the actual outline that was intended by Frank Herbert, and I have even more doubts that these books will match the writing from Frank Herbert.
But who knows what'll happen if I do start them and I finish both H0D and S0D. Maybe I'll even continue after those. Among the books written by the duo, there are multiple stories that have me interested enough to also give those a try. I definitely won't continue now, but maybe I will at some point in the future. This is actually a huge compliment for the original series, as it has intrigued me enough to even consider start reading other stories that aren't written by its original creator.
Series rating:
Dune: 5/5
Dune Messiah: 4/5
Children of Dune: 4/5
God Emperor of Dune: 2/5
Heretics of Dune: 4.5/5
Chapterhouse Dune: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
During my read I already commented on each of the six books after having finished them. I've tried to give each book a proper review here below. This wasn't always easy knowing the first four books were read in 2021.
Having finished all the six books now, I think I have a better view of the overall story and a better understanding of some themes and events happening over the whole series. I think this would benefit my reading experience upon a reread in the future (if I ever came to that).
DUNE
This book had almost everything you want from a good sci-fi adventure. It all starts with a good story off course, and that's something you'll definitely find in "Dune". Main focus from the start is House Atreides. Leto Atreides, head of the House, is the ruler of the planet Caladan. He is assigned by Emperor Shaddam IV to serve as fief ruler of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a harsh and inhospitable desert planet, but it has an enormous importance in the galaxy as it's the only planet where melange (spice) can be found. This substance is invaluable as it extends human youth, vitality and lifespan and it's important for safe interstellar space travel. Behind this move is a conspiracy from the Emperor with House Harkonnen due to the rising popularity of Duke Leto. This makes an interesting outset of a story from the start.
This is further backed up by brilliant worldbuilding. Frank Herbert worked long and hard on this novel and a lot of this effort was clearly put into the worldbuilding. A lot of effort was put in the development of Arrakis, mainly it's ecological system and its conditions, but also into the sandworms (who thrive in these surroundings) and its life-cycles. Thought was put into the creation of melange, and how to harvest it. Having the conditions on Arrakis, making it a inhospitable planet, Frank Herbert worked out a way in his worldbuilding to survive and live in these conditions: the stillsuit. He introduced the Fremen on Arrakis, a desert people who have been oppressed for a long time.
But Frank Herbert thought further than this and created a complete Galactic culture, very rich and detailed. To start with, you have the Landsraad. This was the body that represented all the Great Houses and was ruled by the High Council and overseen by the Emperor. You have CHOAM, an economic consortium with a monopoly on space travel. For this they need the Spice, as it allows them to see a short period into the future to plot a safe course before folding space. You have the Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, religious and political force. They are an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman powers and abilities.
So a lot off importance was put on the worldbuilding in the first novel, but you also need a great villain to get a great story off course. The most obvious villain here is Baron Harkonnen, plotting with the emperor to get rid of House Atreides. Where there's a villain, there's also a hero, and in Dune this is Paul Atreides, son of Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. His mother is herself an acolyte of the Bene Gesserit. Other important characters in the Atreides household are soldiers Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck and the Mentat Thufir Hawat (some sort of a human computer). On the side of the Fremen you have Stilgar and Chani.
With all these elements, Dune provides a thrilling story with a lot court intrigue. Does all of this make "Dune" also a perfect book? No, I don't think so, I could give some remarks, but those are easily disregarded by the fun you get from reading this. Hence still my five star rating.
Rating: 5/5
DUNE MESSIAH
This is a direct follow-up for Dune, taking place 12 years after the final events from "Dune". Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides has ruled as Emperor during this time. By accepting the role of messiah to the Fremen, he has unleashed a jihad which has conquered most of the known universe, but has also resulted in the death of billions of people. Viewing this, a conspiracy has been put in place by the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu and the Spacing Guild to remove Paul from his rule. Again an intriguing outset for a story. It contains a lot of politicking, a lot of good dialogue but it's also a bit too preachy and philosophical at times for my liking. Still a very good second novel in the Dune universe.
Besides Paul Atreides we have some other returning characters as well, one of which is very unexpected..
This book is much shorter than the original. The groundworks have been done in the first novel off course and this book can profit from that. This also means it doesn’t have the complexity of the first book, it is much more contained, but it worked perfectly for me. That's why I also give it a four star rating, even though there are some remarks to be given .
Rating: 4/5
CHILDREN OF DUNE
The third book in the Dune sage takes place nine years after Paul Atreides walked off into the desert. The focus in this book lies mainly on the twin children from Paul en Chani, Leto II and Ghanima. There's also an important role for their aunt and guardian Alia. The twins have concluded that she has succumbed to Abomination, possession by her grandfather Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
There's again an assassination plot, this time against the twins, put in place by Princess Wensicia of the fallen House Corrino in an attempt to regain power for her House.
And from the desert comes the enigmatic figure "The Preacher", provoking the fanatical Fremen into open revolt. Some of them believing it's Paul Atreides himself.
So a lot off plot points to work out ... and it worked pretty well. I would put this novel at about the same level as Dune Messiah with again some strong politicking happening. But on the other hand we also have some complicated philosophical and religious concepts being thrown at us which makes it difficult to follow at times. The first two novels also suffered of this, but to a lesser extent.
Rating: 4/5
GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE
This one was for me the weakest book in the series written by Frank Herbert. The problem was mainly that the main focus was too much on introspection, musings and philosophical ranting and almost no effort was put into an actual story. For me substandard and very tedious to read. It was a struggle to get to the ending with all the philosophical speeches. Some of the earlier books already had such speeches, but mostly didn’t go this far along, and those books at least had a decent story which still made it an interesting read. The story of God Emperor was so thin it could have been written in only a fraction of the pages Frank Herbert did now.
The main characters in this book were the God Emperor Leto II, Siona, a descendant of the Atreides family and Duncan Idaho. Honestly, I can’t even remember many other characters that came into play.
Leto II has ruled for 3.500 years at the start of the book. During this time he has terraformed the planet of Arrakis from a desert planet to a green planet, with the exception of the Sareer, a small section of desert retained by Leto himself. As a result of the terraforming, all the Sandworms have died out and spice is no longer available. Leto II controls the remaining supply of spice, and through this he also keeps civilization under his command.
It's because of this tyrannical rule that an underground rebellion has come to ground led by Siona. Through his prescient view, Leto is aware of this. But through the breeding program that Leto has established, he has bred a human strain that is invisible for this view and for (future) prophets in general. Siona is the final result of this. This will be the start of the downfall of Leto II. Throughout the book a lot of focus is also put on the golden path of Leto II. This is the optimal path for humanity as viewed by Leto II with his prescient view. The result of this, after many thousand years of peace, and after the fall of Leto II, is the scattering. The parting of humanity into the farther universe.
It started out pretty good in the first chapter, and I remember myself thinking I was going to like this book. Unfortunately it went downhill from there and I didn't like it in the end. The ending itself was still decent though. Maybe I will like this book better on a reread, but on my first read I couldn’t give this any more than a 2 star rating.
Rating: 2/5
HERETICS OF DUNE
After the god awful ‘God Emperor of Dune’ I still started this one at the end of 2021, and although it wasn’t bad, I didn’t finish it at the timing and finally took a break from Dune. More than two years later, in June 2024, I took this book back up and finished it in less than a month. This was actually a great book. There were still some dry sections in this book that didn’t always hold my interest, but what made it much more interesting was that we did actually have a good story in here. A plus was even that there were a lot of interesting characters contrary to GEoD. Actually all the important characters held my interest. The best addition for me was Bashar Miles Teg, a military genius for the Bene Gesserit.
The result of GEoD was the scattering, the parting of humanity into the galaxy. In HoD, 1.500 year after the death of Leto II, we have the return of “The Lost Ones” from the scattering. The most powerful of these forces are the Honored Matres, a violent society of women bred and trained for combat and the sexual control of men. They are also the new antagonist in the Dune universe.
Also coming much more to the forefront now are the Bene Gesserit. While the earlier books had a focus on House Atreides and their descendants, now the Bene Gesserit have become the focal point in the Dune universe. Other important factions are the Tleilaxu with their Face Dancers and the Ixians with their no-ships, ships that remain invisible to outside detection.
Although the Bene Gesserit, as an entity in the Dune universe, are now the main focus in the story, there are some characters that are certainly as important. On the one hand we have a new Duncan Idaho ghola, who still needs to be awakened. He is being trained by the Bashar Miles Teg on the planet Gammu (former Giedi Prime). He was created by the Tleilaxu, on demand from the Benne Gesserit, but they have their own plans with him as well. On the other hand there's Sheeana, a girl who can control the giant sandworms on Rakis. The Bene Gesserit hope to gain control of her and the religion that will inevitably form around her. However other factions try to control her as well.
This provides a lot of plot points through the story, again a lot of politicking in which each faction tries to gain something from the others. It's not always 100% clear what the goal is of each of these plot points or what each of these factions try to accomplish, but I thought this was still a very good novel in the series. I enjoyed this a lot, one of the better ones!
Rating: 4.5/5
CHAPTERHOUSE: DUNE
After the great Heretics of Dune I had high expectations for Chapterhouse, but unfortunately these weren’t (completely) met.
With the introduction in the previous book of the Honored Matres as antagonist, and the ending we got in Heretics, I expected something in the same vein for Chapterhouse. Contrary to Heretics, where we did get a lot of action and suspense, Chapterhouse is very slow to start with. We have a lot of internal monologues of characters during this book or conversations between characters that are often topped with too much philosophical ranting. This isn’t the case during the whole book, and it certainly isn’t as bad as with GEOD, but it’s often enough to take away from the flow of the book. Too often I lost my interest in it or it just went completely over my head.
We still have a decent story here, something we barely got in GEoD. The Honored Matres have gained much more influence in the universe after their return from the scattering and the Bene Gesserit are forced into hiding. Multiple Bene Gesserit planets have already been located and have been destroyed with the loss of many Bene Gesserit as a result. Chapterhouse still remains a secret for the Honored Matres. It’s from here that the Bene Gesserit plan their next move and will try to strike back. All this under the leadership of Mother Superior Odrade, also one of the main pov’s in the book. This means that the outset of the story is there, the execution just didn’t live up to the one in Heretics.
As we go along toward the end, the suspense does rise and we do get some action. Even long before the ending there are some good chapters to read, but not enough to give this a great rating. I am left with a feeling this could have been much better with the right alterations. Adding some action sequences here and there could have made it much more compelling from the start. I'm thinking off a chapter on the loss of Lampadas and what happened there. Omitting some parts would also have helped the flow a bit. In the end this is still a good book, but one of my least favorite in the saga.
Rating: 3.5/5
Conclusion:
As I mentioned before this is a must read for sci-fi readers. If I had the time, I would definitely reread this series at some point, but with all the books on my reading list I'm not sure I will ever come to that. I think my enjoyment of these book would profit of a reread with the full knowledge I have after finishing all six of them.
Does this also mean I'll continue the series with the books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson? I'm not sure. Initially, before I was well underway reading these books, I would have thought I wouldn't continue reading after finishing the main series by Frank Herbert. Now I'm in doubt. There's an itch remaining, so maybe I'll plunge into the final two books at some point (Hunters of Dune / Sandworms of Dune). I do have doubts these books will approach the actual outline that was intended by Frank Herbert, and I have even more doubts that these books will match the writing from Frank Herbert.
But who knows what'll happen if I do start them and I finish both H0D and S0D. Maybe I'll even continue after those. Among the books written by the duo, there are multiple stories that have me interested enough to also give those a try. I definitely won't continue now, but maybe I will at some point in the future. This is actually a huge compliment for the original series, as it has intrigued me enough to even consider start reading other stories that aren't written by its original creator.
Series rating:
Dune: 5/5
Dune Messiah: 4/5
Children of Dune: 4/5
God Emperor of Dune: 2/5
Heretics of Dune: 4.5/5
Chapterhouse Dune: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
March 12, 2021
Don't get me wrong. "Dune" is great. Frank Herbert is an acknowledged grand master of science fiction. I just don't... like it that much. I'm a plot and character first, setting and world-building second guy, so hard SF world-builders like Herbert lose me as much as fantasy-historians like Tolkien do. (Yes, I don't worship "Lord of the Rings" either, I'll turn in my nerd card if you insist.) It took two thirds of the first novel for me to finally find myself gripped and invested, the ongoing tracking of multiple storylines and layers of prophecy and social conditioning become a pleasure instead of a task.
When I compare this to another science-fiction doorstopper, Walter Wangerin's "New Sun" series, it's clear how much DNA the two series share, but Wangerin's version (some say his knockoff) seems to integrate character more deeply into world-building, so I'll always prefer it even if it sometimes felt like a slog too. Will I resume "Dune?" Maybe someday... but I say the same thing about Proust.
When I compare this to another science-fiction doorstopper, Walter Wangerin's "New Sun" series, it's clear how much DNA the two series share, but Wangerin's version (some say his knockoff) seems to integrate character more deeply into world-building, so I'll always prefer it even if it sometimes felt like a slog too. Will I resume "Dune?" Maybe someday... but I say the same thing about Proust.
May 25, 2022
The Dune saga is a classic and after the first book was (re)made into a movie it was time for me to read all the books. 2500 pages in total, a large part exciting and keeps the reader spellbound. But there were also exceptions; parts of the 3rd and the last book that were long-winded and made the reader lose interest easily. The whole work, however, is worth reading. That the author keeps all the details together and apart over the
thousands of pages deserves all the respect
thousands of pages deserves all the respect
November 22, 2021
I'll preface this saying I finally decided to read these when the new film was released, i've seen the original 80's film and the sci-fi series (covering the first 3 books) and enjoyed them.
Dune - A good story with a nice array of characters and interesting world, the spice, the worms and the whole Atreides story starts here. Great to read and kept me interested.
Dune Messiah - Interesting story and I didn't mind the whole change of view of Paul/Mua'dib here. I think it added to the character and the story and showed much less of a polished world than we had previously.
Children of Dune - Great story following what happened next with Paul's sister and children. The ending was (having seen the series) not a surprise but I enjoyed how it was all handled and was looking forward to see where the golden path led.
God Emperor of Dune - What drugs did Frank take for this one? Seriously? Ok i understand Leto II's transformation had to be covered but turning into a weird hybrid worm (sorry but i couldnt help picturing jabba the hutt) that farts oxygen was just a bit too strange. From this point on in the series this seemed to be a lot more focused on Duncan than the Atreides as a whole.
Heretics of Dune - An enjoyable enough story in some ways but far far too vague about what generally happened/was happening in the wider galaxy meant this just didnt grab me. Again Duncan was the star and although it was nice to see the Bene Gesserit organisation from the inside it still didnt really progress the story a lot or explain the whole scattering or the return.
Chapterhouse Dune - Pretty much the same as Heretics but with more focus on sex and sexual power. By this point i feel the series has come a million miles away from where it started and ended up in a very dark and confused place.
I dont think i'll be continuing with the books by his son. Great start but when it starts going down hill it doesnt really stop.
Dune - A good story with a nice array of characters and interesting world, the spice, the worms and the whole Atreides story starts here. Great to read and kept me interested.
Dune Messiah - Interesting story and I didn't mind the whole change of view of Paul/Mua'dib here. I think it added to the character and the story and showed much less of a polished world than we had previously.
Children of Dune - Great story following what happened next with Paul's sister and children. The ending was (having seen the series) not a surprise but I enjoyed how it was all handled and was looking forward to see where the golden path led.
God Emperor of Dune - What drugs did Frank take for this one? Seriously? Ok i understand Leto II's transformation had to be covered but turning into a weird hybrid worm (sorry but i couldnt help picturing jabba the hutt) that farts oxygen was just a bit too strange. From this point on in the series this seemed to be a lot more focused on Duncan than the Atreides as a whole.
Heretics of Dune - An enjoyable enough story in some ways but far far too vague about what generally happened/was happening in the wider galaxy meant this just didnt grab me. Again Duncan was the star and although it was nice to see the Bene Gesserit organisation from the inside it still didnt really progress the story a lot or explain the whole scattering or the return.
Chapterhouse Dune - Pretty much the same as Heretics but with more focus on sex and sexual power. By this point i feel the series has come a million miles away from where it started and ended up in a very dark and confused place.
I dont think i'll be continuing with the books by his son. Great start but when it starts going down hill it doesnt really stop.
October 16, 2023
Eu demorei dois anos pra ler Duna. Foi uma jornada, na qual vi universos sendo criados e destruídos. Essa leitura foi feita com um respeito quase sacralizado, a cada livro que eu terminava, prometia que voltaria a leitura quando sentisse o deserto chamando de novo. E foi assim nos seis volumes dessa obra magnífica. No meio de um dia qualquer, podia ouvir uma Lady Jéssica me chamando para o treinamento ou uma Sheanna dançando na areia e nesse momento, sabia que era a hora de voltar a leitura. Há magia nessas palavras ou só uma grande tendência de despertar os sonhadores para o grande caminho dourado. Há questões levantadas, criticadas, revistas, há mundos descobertos. Papéis de gênero questionados. Tudo também que ainda não foi. Posso falar do orientalismo, da ambição humana, da pequeneza da vida, de umas ideias bizarras sobre orientação sexual. Duna é uma mina de assuntos que alimentam nossa gana de conhecimento e debate. Terminei a última página com tantas perguntas e logo a conclusão que eu não preciso saber de tudo. Eu julgava um pouco o filho por ter dado continuidade a obra, ainda acho que é um erro, mas também entendo esse desejo de que haja mais alguma coisa, que um verme possa estar florescendo em um planeta não identificado. É com tristeza que me despeço dessa obra, já sinto que ela é parte de quem sou ou quero ser. Um clássico é um clássico, né?
June 18, 2021
Olha demorou pra engatar mas quando foi mds. É um livro com muuuuita informação, o universo que foi criado é incrível e já to doida pra ler os próximos.
A leitura é boa, mas não tão fluida por causa das palavras e termos que foram criados para essa cultura, mesmo assim não achei que atrapalhou tanto.
Os personagens são muito bons, mas queria ver mais dos secundários pq não consegui me importar muito com eles.
Alguns eventos acontecem e tu fica Q? Como assim? Já? E pra mim teve uma coisa que me incomodou, parecia que eu estava lendo uma continuação, tinha coisas que não eram explicadas, o que era e tals, isso me fez ficar perdida algumas vezes.
No fim o que eu amei no livro mesmo foi o universo que foi criado, acho que se eu não soubesse que tem continuação não ia gostar pq ficou muita coisa no ar.
A leitura é boa, mas não tão fluida por causa das palavras e termos que foram criados para essa cultura, mesmo assim não achei que atrapalhou tanto.
Os personagens são muito bons, mas queria ver mais dos secundários pq não consegui me importar muito com eles.
Alguns eventos acontecem e tu fica Q? Como assim? Já? E pra mim teve uma coisa que me incomodou, parecia que eu estava lendo uma continuação, tinha coisas que não eram explicadas, o que era e tals, isso me fez ficar perdida algumas vezes.
No fim o que eu amei no livro mesmo foi o universo que foi criado, acho que se eu não soubesse que tem continuação não ia gostar pq ficou muita coisa no ar.
November 18, 2014
This has to have 5 stars if only to reflect the breadth and depth of vision and imagination in the story. But for more than that, too. You will find it on the sci-fi shelves in a bookshop, but, in truth, it is as much a political thriller, a philosophy and a family saga. "Sci-fi" doesn't do it justice. I read these as a much younger man when they first came out - but I don't think I got as far as book 6 because I got bogged down in the philosophy. As an older man re-reading them, I was fascinated by the the whole thing and definitely not bored as I think I was on original reading.
February 20, 2025
Os excertos de livros do próprio universo no início dos capítulos adicionam tanta complexidade à história, assim como as poesias, canções e orações durante diversos trechos. Acho que os filmes perdem muito ao não explorar melhor a personagem Chani, ela é tão potente. Insinuar um ciúme que leva ao isolamento vai tão contra o temperamento dela. Muito foda essas diferentes influencias culturais para construir um povo e seus costumes. Enfim, paguei um pau danado! Pretendo ler os outros :) LISAN AL GAIB
September 18, 2021
meu deus que loucura que foi a experiência de ler esse livro ! foi meu primeiro sci-fi e eu não poderia ter escolhido um livro melhor pra iniciar nesse gênero, sério!!!!! a escrita desse homem é genial, o jeito que você consegue discernir entre os personagens facilmente, termos a visão da maioria dos personagens durante uma conversa é simplesmente PERFEITO. não gostei mt do paul no final, mas tem ali seus "motivos" né... agr preciso ver o timotheé e a zendaya nesse filme WEEEEE
February 3, 2021
The original Dune is a Sci Fi Classic I have read several times, but can’t recommend the other books in the series. Dense, rambling, limited action, and poorly explained powers acquired by humans really weaken the rich world set up in the original. No need to move beyond book one.
Read
December 1, 2020Great collection and convenient way to read all the books. Every book was excellent, and improved on the previous one. Impressive achievement.
October 29, 2021
It is a must read. An epic tale that mixes religion with mythology.
December 9, 2024
Duna é espetacular. Apesar de amar o gênero de ficção científica e autores como Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams... Eu quase nada sabia sobre Frank Herbert e o universo de Duna, o que hoje vejo como algo inadmissível. A trama tem tudo aquilo que hoje se espera mas grandes sagas de ficção científica: impérios intergalácticos, tramas políticas regidas por Casas (clãs) nos modelos medievais, o futuro da raça humana entre outros temas. O que pode parecer o padrão hoje, mas que foi escrito em 1965 por Frank Herbert. A grandiosidade do universo e o império que a humanidade formou pela vastidão do universo em Duna, me fez lembrar de A Fundação (1951) de Asimov. Além disso, o meio ambiente é outro ponto bastante apontado e discutido na obra. Todavia, o ponto central de Duna diz respeito a como líderes carismáticos ou não, podem levar seus seguidores aos limites da barbárie humana. Como é fácil que os seguidores parem de questionar o líder! Como é acelerado o processo de você deixar de ver um líder como um ser humano e passar a ver ele como algo divino! Como é aceitável acreditar que o líder nunca erra! Herbert parece pensar tanto a frente no futuro, que conflitos entre humanidade e máquinas - tema comum pra se pensar no futuro - em Duna corresponde ao passado daquela história, a Jihad Butleriano ocorre mais de 10 mil anos antes dos eventos de Duna. E o que falar sobre os Mentats - indivíduos capazes de fazer cálculos matemáticos complexos, as Bene Gesserit - uma irmandade matriarcal que possui habilidades psíquicas e biológicas maiores que o restante dos seres humanos, e a Guilda Espacial - responsáveis pela viagem espacial. Em um mundo sem computadores, o que resta a humanidade é evoluir sua percepção e o controle por completo do corpo e da mente, através da Especiaria. É um universo muito rico, diverso, misteroso. Um dos melhores livros que li em toda a minha vida.
March 13, 2022
Duna é um livro de complexidade admirável e intimidadora. Tudo no livro possui uma explicação consistente, desde a ecologia dos planetas, a religião e política. O livro é meticulosamente criado para te fazer pensar durante dias e dias sobre os motivos das ações das personagens, porém a complexidade, as vezes excessiva do livros torna as vezes, a leitura cansativa. Duna é uma saga para se ler com calma, tomando tempo para compreender a religião, ecologia, política e o outros pontos, não é um livro para se ler em uma semana, é uma leitura que leva tempo para se admirar.
O tamanho do livro faz sentido, a meticulosidade e genialidade de Frank Herbert é fantástica e admirável.
Recomendo esse livro para todos que gostam de histórias complexas e bem estruturadas.
O tamanho do livro faz sentido, a meticulosidade e genialidade de Frank Herbert é fantástica e admirável.
Recomendo esse livro para todos que gostam de histórias complexas e bem estruturadas.
December 12, 2023
NON MI SEMBRA VERO ma siamo live, HO FINITO
«È ancora una saga necessaria, perlomeno nella sua forma più sintetica di trilogia. Dune costringe a riflettere sul valore del tempo, della conoscenza, su quanto si è disposti a cedere al cambiamento e quanto valore si dia alle persone che ci stanno accanto. Attraverso le diversissime e improbabili vicende dei personaggi, siamo messi a nudo e costretti a pensare: “E io, cosa farei? Cosa sceglierei?”. L’umanità stereotipata, massificata, di Dune ci pone davanti ad una specifica (e forse cinica) idea della Storia, che ci serve a chiederci quale ruolo vogliamo avere in essa. In un momento storico dove ambiente, fede e diversità sono sempre più difficili da proteggere, Dune è una saga a cui non possiamo rinunciare».
«È ancora una saga necessaria, perlomeno nella sua forma più sintetica di trilogia. Dune costringe a riflettere sul valore del tempo, della conoscenza, su quanto si è disposti a cedere al cambiamento e quanto valore si dia alle persone che ci stanno accanto. Attraverso le diversissime e improbabili vicende dei personaggi, siamo messi a nudo e costretti a pensare: “E io, cosa farei? Cosa sceglierei?”. L’umanità stereotipata, massificata, di Dune ci pone davanti ad una specifica (e forse cinica) idea della Storia, che ci serve a chiederci quale ruolo vogliamo avere in essa. In un momento storico dove ambiente, fede e diversità sono sempre più difficili da proteggere, Dune è una saga a cui non possiamo rinunciare».
July 9, 2024
Nota real: 4,5
Denis Villeneuve é o responsável pela minha obsessão e que bom foi conhecer o universo de Duna nos mínimos detalhes. Descobri que ele foi perfeito em todas as escolhas que fez para contar essa história que nem sempre é fácil de acompanhar.
Sobre o livro em si, Frank Herbert foi genial e visionário para época, o que justifica sua marca estar presente em tantas histórias que vieram depois. Em algumas partes, principalmente as que se dedicam a falar dos Harkonnens, a história fica cansativa e confusa. Por outro lado, a construção de Arrakis, do universo dos Fremens e o desenvolvimento dos personagens principais é algo cativante, não vejo a hora de ler os próximos.
Denis Villeneuve é o responsável pela minha obsessão e que bom foi conhecer o universo de Duna nos mínimos detalhes. Descobri que ele foi perfeito em todas as escolhas que fez para contar essa história que nem sempre é fácil de acompanhar.
Sobre o livro em si, Frank Herbert foi genial e visionário para época, o que justifica sua marca estar presente em tantas histórias que vieram depois. Em algumas partes, principalmente as que se dedicam a falar dos Harkonnens, a história fica cansativa e confusa. Por outro lado, a construção de Arrakis, do universo dos Fremens e o desenvolvimento dos personagens principais é algo cativante, não vejo a hora de ler os próximos.
July 10, 2024
I finally finished the 6 books of the original Dune saga! I won't lie, the first one is by far my favorite even if I enjoyed most of every book in this series. It wasn't always equal, especially the rhythm but I'm still glad I read them all as I intended for a long time and even if it took me months, literally 😅
October 16, 2024
Son 6 libros. Me gustó mucho el primero, también el segundo y el tercero. El cuarto me chocó mucho lo que era, pero el 5° y 6° lo he sentido un poco ajeno a lo anterior. Me cuesta ver la motivación de esos libros, el por qué de ellos. No los veo necesarios y he tardado mucho en leerlos. Cuatro estrellas porque los primeros me encantaron, pero creo que ha sido demasiado largo sin necesidad.
September 16, 2022
Surpreendentemente filosófico e profundo em temas como religião, ecologia e antropologia.
Uma obra de ficção científica atemporal, no fim do livro eu já estava procurando as sequências pois mergulhei na cultura e detalhes ricos de Duna.
Recomendo fortemente sua leitura, uma obra prima da ficção.
Uma obra de ficção científica atemporal, no fim do livro eu já estava procurando as sequências pois mergulhei na cultura e detalhes ricos de Duna.
Recomendo fortemente sua leitura, uma obra prima da ficção.
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