Who Doesn't Love a Classic? discussion

CLASSIC Science Fiction (first published 1965)


Dune - Frank Herbert
3***

From the book jacket: The novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family – and would bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

My reactions:
Okay … science fiction epics are just not my thing. That being said, I do recognize and appreciate what has made this such an enduring classic in the genre. Herbert has created a complex world, with warring factions, political intrigue, and a great main character in Paul Muad’Dib. The action moves the plot forward at a consistent pace, and there are scenes that just stopped me in my tracks (those worms!). But despite all that I was just “meh” about the book. I liked it okay, but it’s not special to me. I think if I had read this when I was in high school or college I would have rated it higher, but it just doesn’t appeal to my reading tastes at this stage of my life.

The audio is probably part of the reason I was lukewarm to the book. It is narrated / performed by a variety of talented voice artists. Simon Vance is the main narrator, with the characters each voiced by a different actor, including Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, and a full cast. That would probably have been fine, adding drama and making it easier for the listener to identify the many different characters. But the producers also added sound effects and a soundtrack of music that just irritated me no end. I particularly hated the “thrum” of a large engine that was used as background in several scenes; the first time I heard it I thought there was some problem with my car engine!


LINK to my review