Dune is often considered a masterpiece of 20th-century American science fiction. In part, the book owes its reputation to the film adaptation David Lynch directed in the early 1980s (although this movie was, and still is, not considered one of his best). Frank Herbert wrote a novel of epic proportions, in other words, a space opera, with its intergalactic feudal society, its decadent (if not evil) empire and its band of rebels: the book was published some ten years before the first instalment of the Star Wars series. Indeed, along with Asimov’s (overrated) Foundation stories, it was George Lucas’ primary source of inspiration.

One of the most exciting aspects of Herbert’s creation is the multi-cultural world he depicts. Each house (Atreides, Harkonnen, etc.), each planet (Arrakis, Giedi Prime, Caladan...), each group (the Fremen, the Bene Gesserit, the Guild, the Emperor’s suite and the Sardaukars) has its specific flavour, its own culture, its language — the comprehensive index at the end of the book is utterly fascinating. For each of these cultures, Herbert borrowed traits from traditions (ancient or contemporary) he knew well in reality, especially from the Middle East. In particular, Paul Atreides / Muad’Dib’s story among the Fremen is redolent of the historical events around T.E. Lawrence and the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. And Paul’s crusade on Arrakis is told, as though it were ancient history, in the chronicles by the Princess Irulan at the start of each chapter.

Herbert describes his fictional world and characters in great detail, which contributes to the richness of his narrative, but I found these descriptions somewhat boring and, especially, the middle of the book is a bit dragging for that reason. In my view, the most impressive parts of this novel are the dialogues, where Herbert simultaneously reveals what the characters are saying and thinking. This technique lends a sense of duplicity and scheming to almost every interaction. Everyone is plotting one way or another so that the whole thing ends up being like a great Shakespearean play, with dialogues and asides, tyrants and pretenders. What confirms this impression is not only the theme of the exiled Duke (see As You Like It, King Lear, or The Tempest), but also the repeated scenes of fencing duels throughout, with feints and poisoned tips: a clear allusion to the endings of Hamlet and Macbeth, for instance.

Edit: A word about Denis Villeneuve’s new film adaptation of Herbert’s novel (part 1, 2021). Comparisons are odious and obviously wouldn’t be to David Lynch’s advantage. This is a Dune version for a new generation of fans and an epic movie on par with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, in the early 2000s. The settings (filmed in Scandinavia and the Middle East) are breathtaking, and the actors have so much going for them. But what strikes me the most in this new version is the sense that everything is overwhelming and sublime: the massive architecture, the crushing machines, the extreme weather conditions, the earth-shattering landscapes, the thunderous music, the tragic events, the repulsive foes. From the relenting waves of Caladan to the searing and unending skies of Arrakis, everything assumes an oceanic and staggering dimension.

Surely I’ll be burned at the stake for this

Welcome to Unpopular Review Time! Where I go against what almost everyone else says about a book.

Before we start, please do not be fooled by the three star rating. Even if I didn't like really like the book, I have to acknowledge there are reasons why Dune is a cornerstone of the Sci Fi genre.

Now, let's talk about the important stuff.

This is a masterpiece of world building.

We get a new planet, and while it's obvious that Herbert based his desert planet on real sights and cultures, it's still awesome. The Fremen and their culture, the stillsuits, the worms, the plight for water... It's all explained in such a vivid detail without being boring or repetitive. And while reading you can see the references! Can we talk about how many movies and books have been influenced by this?



We also get a future Empire where machines are no longer used for computation purposes. Instead, humans have been trained to unlock their full brain potential and make such calculations. And we get two schools of these "enhanced" humans: the Bene Gesserit and the Mentats. And we get lots of details explaining this new society: the Empire, the Noble Houses, the Guild, how each group interacts with the others, the intrigue surrounding all dealings...

The plot is straightforward and follows a 'Chosen One' pattern.

Paul, is the 'Chosen One', the Lisan al-Gaib, the Kwisatz Haderach. He gets many names. After a betrayal, he finds refuge among the Fremen and seeks revenge from those who wronged his house.



Here comes my first problem with the book, you can divide it in a before and after around the betrayal point. (I'm not spoiling anything by telling you this, believe me, the book will tell you ALL about it)

Before this the plot drags along at a slow and unpleasant pace (at least for me.) The story is told in a third person omniscient point of view, and the author uses this liberally, giving us a peek into the different characters' thoughts. And he loves repeating ideas. So we get to know about the betrayal from the bad guy who planned it, from the traitor himself, from everyone inside House Atreides who knows that there's a traitor and suspects everyone,... and all this before anything actually happens! When the scene finally rolls in I was so tired of the plot I almost gave up on the book.

After this the plot actually picks up and there's lots of action. However I had some more problems with it, as I'll explain ahead.

While they were all artfully created and developed; there's no way to connect with any of these characters.

The way Herbert planned his 'Chosen One' and his society, most of the characters are deeply logical and, dare I say, stuffy? They think and re-think, and plan and plot, and think again, computing everything with a very small dose of humanity. (Ha! And they call themselves humans.)

Paul is wise beyond his years, not only by his training, but by his evolution during the story. It made me think of another chosen child: Harry Potter, but where we all wanted to be Harry, or at least one of his friends; I really had no thought of befriending this one. (I did pity him a lot.)

And then there's the bad guy! Oh Gods. I've never in my life seen such a TERRIBLE antagonist and I don't say this lightly.



He's a fat ugly guy, who cannot even move himself. He's a pedophile, a slave worker, treats everyone horribly including his own family. There is absolutely no redeeming quality to this guy. He's almost cartoonish in how bad he is.

And I never ever got his hate for the Atreides, I can understand greed, personal vendettas, house wars. But his hate seemed too personal and at the same time too huge to be understandable. Also, he was the typical movie villain that loved to rehash his plots over and over again, and brag about how cunning he was. Complete freaking waste of time.

Last, but not least. The ending is incredibly abrupt and I DID NOT like it. Call me romantic, call me naive, call me soft. I don't care. I thought that last paragraph was the wrong thing to say.

All in all this was a great book, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I suggest you read it. If only so you can see Star Wars in a pretty different light.

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Image Credits
'The Defeat of the Sarduakar' by John Schoenherr.
"Fremen of Dune" by Sammy Hall
"Vladimir Harkonnen" by a-hour