Customer Reviews

Dune

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I know some people who hate the movie and will not touch this book. I know a few who own and love the movie but have never read the book. I have lent DUNE to friends who could get no further than page 20 because it was too "out there" or too difficult, with its array of characters and glossary of made-up terms. But of all the people who have gotten past page 20- I don't know one who doesn't praise it among their absolute favorites. I am no exception.

I love sci-fi but don't read much of it because I prefer fantasy. DUNE feels like a perfect blend of the two. A war of noble houses set in space. Paul Atreides is heir to the duchy- and to say that he is well trained for the job would be an understatement. His father, Duke Leto, is given charge of Arrakis- a hellish desert-world and the sole source of "the spice" which the entire universe needs. A very prestigious assignment, but treachery and peril comes with it. Paul finds himself thrown into the mystery of Dune and its fierce natives, the Fremen. Is he the savior their prophecy speaks of?

I was first blown away by DUNE at the age of 16, and have since considered it "the one to beat". In 8 years, very few books have made me question that judgment: Game of Thrones, Foundation, Lord of the Rings, Ender's Game. I had to reread it to be sure I wasn't just naïve at the time. Was it really THAT great? Absolutely.

While I would regularly rate this book 5 stars, the Kindle version is very poorly edited, and formating and spelling errors occur regularly. Words with missing spaces in between them show up on almost every other page. Just because something is in a digital format doesn't mean the publisher gets a pass on, what should be, run of the mill quality control for every single book they put out.

Also, a note to Amazon. Book reviews need to be separated by format and editions. I cannot stress this enough. My complaints about this book are irrelevant to anyone who's not looking at the Kindle version, yet it will show up as a review for all versions of this book. This is a particular problem with popular public domain books, like Pride and Prejudice, that have multiple releases from different publishers, all with varying quality of of formating and editing, yet still share reviews.

Frank Herbert's Nebula and Hugo award-winning "Dune" is widely acclaimed as the best science fiction work. And rightly so. As entertainment it's a suspenseful tale of adventure that sparkles with imaginative creativity. When the family of Paul Atreides arrives on the desert planet "Arrakis" or "Dune", they find that their goal to take over rule from the Harkonnen family is difficult to achieve. Paul faces treachery, murder, as well as the rigorous conditions of a dry and deadly planet where water is more precious than gold. It is only with the help of the mysterious battle-hardened desert tribe of Fremen, and his newly-discovered religious powers that Paul stands any chance of triumphing over the powers of evil. The plot has a complexity of layers reminiscent of Tolkien.

The sci-fi classification does not mean "Dune" is inaccessible to non-sci-fi fans, because most of the traditional sci-fi elements are either absent or mere background. Several remarkable scenes of hand to hand combat are more reminiscent of ancient Roman gladiators than of science fiction! There are weaknesses: mature themes (such as allusions to pedastry) make "Dune" unsuitable for children, and Herbert's use of language is not outstanding. But what especially makes "Dune" great is the complexity of ideas. Herbert has created not just a story, but a memorable world conveying an elaborate philosophy of ideas, with three outstanding themes:

1. ECOLOGY. Arrakis is a barren and bare planet of desert sands, with characters reminiscent of desert Arabs (Herbert studied Arabic extensively in researching for the novel). As well as hosting titanic deadly sandworms, the desert sands feature a mysterious and narcotic spice substance known as Melange, which is central to the diet of its inhabitants, heightens powers of awareness, and is a central part of the economy. The power and value of water in this hostile sandscape environment is manifested in that shedding tears is an expression of great devotion. It becomes evident that there is a plan to rescue this planet from its barrenness and turn it into a paradise. Significantly the book is dedicated to dry land ecologists. Herbert was an accomplished ecologist himself, and one wonders whether he is expressing his own vision of the possibility of a man-achieved paradise on earth.

2. POLITICS. There is a complex interplay of people, tribes, politics and economics, with constant scheming, plots and subterfuge revolving around personal and political ambitions. Herbert has created an intricate and plausible history of tribes and peoples, with unique languages (much originating from Arabic), names and ambitions. The lust for power and wealth is combined with a determination to succeed at all costs, stopping at nothing - even murder - to achieve it. The political corruption and chaos of Dune's world is analogous to our contemporary world, as Herbert once observed in an interview: "the scarce water of Dune is an exact analog of oil scarcity. CHOAM is OPEC." Paul's triumphant leadership is also thematic. In humanizing a messiah figure, Herbert raises an important question: why do people blindly follow leaders? "Dune" conveys his theory that "superheroes are disastrous for mankind" because even the greatest leaders are human. Despite their strengths, relying completely on them is fatal.

3. RELIGION. Religion is inter-woven with politics, and centers on women, such as the powerful matriarch, the Reverend Mother. Herbert at times seems to picture religion as the manipulation of the masses by the intelligent, since the Orthodox Catholic Bible functions as a human invention rather than divine revelation. The strong religious component especially comes to the fore with Paul, a Messiah figure who fulfils prophecies, the long awaited Kwisatz Haderach who is somehow both man and god, and from whom all blessings flow. These prophecies have their own pitfalls - and are used to show the paradox of a system of predistination. The religion is a mixture of Christianity, Islam (jihad and similar Arabic words are clearly borrowed), Buddhist philosophy, and a strong eastern mystical component. Strangely, there is no active involvement of the Creator, since "the most persistent principles of the universe are accident and error." The power of the divine resides instead within oneself, and there are definite occultic overtones, such as the mention of "wierding" (a form of witchcraft), and very obvious new age Eastern spiritualism and mysticism. Herbert also makes a profound connection between technology and religion. In light of the fact that this novel was written at the hey-day of space travel and lunar landings, it is remarkable that in an appendix Herbert observes that technology and space travel affects one's view of creation. In his opinion, the god of technology and machine-logic is destined to be dethroned, and replaced with a renewed realization of the significance of man. Instead of placing hope in machines, it is to be placed in mankind. Herbert optimism about mankind is evident: a self-made paradise is attainable.

In short, Herbert has created a plausible world, reflecting his multi-faceted interests in society, culture, environment, politics, religion and science. Dune's fictional cultures (Fremen), political parties (Harkonnen, Atreides), worlds (Dune), languages, religions, customs, geography, and ecology are imaginative, realistic, and function in a rich complexity that places him in the same league as Tolkien and similar eminent writers. Though written in the 1960s, the fact that Dune is still relevant, readable and in no way outdated is a testimony to its greatness. You will find that this book has so much depth that you will not just read it once, but many times, with increasing enjoyment. So, don't hesitate, head for the sands of Dune for an unforgettable adventure!

Frank Herbert built three dynasties inside a galactic empire that is based on melange, a drug that was available on one planet only -- Arrakis, also known as Dune. Using melange, navigators have the power to fold space, which allows space travel.

In spite of a blood feud that was more deadly than Romeo and Juliet's Montagues and Capulets, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV takes the rule of Dune away from the Harkonnens and gives it to the House Atreides. He has his reasons. The scene is set for political intrigue, sabotage, subterfuge, war, romance, survival, revolt, and revenge.

Dune is a masterpiece. It was the first novel to win the Nebula Award (1965), and it shared the Hugo Award in the following year (1966). Not only are the plots and characters intricate, but also the political, financial, religions, lifestyles, military, and honor structures are created. Dune is like no place on Earth.

This book is written from multiple points of view (POV), and you know every main character in the book because you are privy to their thoughts. The abundant use of Italics is unacceptable in today's market, yet it is one of the most effective aspects of Dune.

The effect of knowing what someone thinks while they say or do something else is an ability most people would like to have. Jessica, concubine to Duke Atreides, a Bene Gesserit witch, and Paul's mother trains him, against the wishes of the witches, to use his mind for control. The most powerful Bene Gesserit tests Paul Atreides, as she holds his mind captive she wonders if "he is the one." Fremen believe he is Muad'Dib, the messiah who will deliver them, even as they challenge him in a fight to the death.

I have read this book and the sequels several times. Like Paul Atreides, I dreamt of new philosophies and awakenings. Dune is required reading for anyone who loves Science Fiction.

Victoria Tarrani

I have climbed out of bed to write this for you, because I can take it no longer. Whoever made the kindle version should be fired. The book itself is great. However, random missing spaces, extra spaces, italics that begin or end when they shouldn't, mis-spellings of stillsuit as "stulsuit"....Please, buy another version. This is an embarrassment to e-publishing....and you'd think with it being on the computer it'd be easier to check for errors. Guess not.

Look elsewhere for your ebook copy of Dune.

First off, this is a review of the Kindle edition of this book. I apologize in advance if you're considering the paper edition and this isn't helpful; Amazon doesn't give us a way to rate the Kindle version separately.

I really like the book itself, but can't recommend the Kindle edition due to sadly sloppy formatting -- in literally hundreds of places, the Kindle edition will spuriously add italics where none belong, or remove italics where they do belong, or remove spaces between words so they run together, or confuse dashes with hyphens and use quotation marks or apostrophes that point the wrong direction. There are some typos too (which I think are not literally typos, but OCR -- optical character recognition -- errors).

All of this distracts from the enjoyment of what should be an excellent read, frequently reminding you that you are reading a book published by a company that couldn't be bothered to proofread their work.

The fact that this is an extra-cost "40th anniversary edition" adds insult to injury (the Dune sequels haven't been given the 40th anniversary treatment, and aren't full of these annoying errors, and they cost less to boot).

In the first novel of his entrancing saga, Frank Herbert takes his audiences captive with the haunting epic of the desert planet, Arrakis. Herbert displays his unique capability for blending the elements of religion, politics, culture and nature perfectly to form a society that is, though alien, slightly reminiscent of the world today. Though fantastical and outlandish, Arrakis is very realistic and believable world.
The novel takes place primarily on Arrakis, also known as Dune. A place where water is a luxury and the sun is the ultimate enemy of a man. Many secrets are buried within Dune's sands, many of which only its natives, the Fremen, are aware of. One mystery that the government has still not reasoned out is the spice, melange. The addictive spice practically runs the universe, giving the Guild navigators their enhanced navigational skills and Muad'Dib his prescience. Strangely, though, the spice is only found on Arrakis, and quite abundantly. All of this Paul Atreides must encounter when his father, Duke Leto, accepts the fief of Arrakis. However, through a series of events involving the Atreides' arch rival, the Harkonnens, Paul and his mother, Jessica, must flee to the desert, leaving behind Paul's inheritance as Duke. When Paul encounters the spice-filled desert, the prescience that he always possessed is enhanced to the point of sensing truth and predicting the future. Hiding in the cover of the desert, Paul and Jessica are taken in by the Fremen and accepted into their religion. It is through the Fremen that Paul becomes the notorious Muad'Dib, and the long awaited Messiah of the Fremen, destined to lead them in battle. However, the battle is not only with the Harkonnens, but the Bene Gesserit also. The Bene Gesserit are the founders of a human breeding program to reach the goal of creating a Kwistatz Haderach, the ultimate human.
Soon, the man known as Muad'Dib must fight the battle with his old enemies, the Harkonnens and his own future.
This book is a classic science fiction masterpiece that displays the immense talent and imagination of its author, Frank Herbert. It challenges the imagination, inspires the mind, and fills the senses until you feel you can taste the melange on your tongue and feel the desert sand of Arrakis on beneath your feet. If you appreciate intelligent literature, this book will not disappoint you.

After seeing the movie I wanted to read the book. I liked the story, sadly the Kindle edition is another poor scan with OCR Error and has obviously not been corrected. Many missing spaces or wrong characters 'j' instead of 'f' etc...

5 stars for the story, but only 2 for the scanning.

After seeing typo complaints about the Kindle edition, I decided to look at the free initial chapters before plunking down that much $$. It didn't take me long: '...he was bom on Caladan..." in the 5th sentence of Book One! Come on Penguin (and Amazon), either significantly reduce the price or get it right (and do the 40th Anniversary proud). Why not give the first reporter of each typo $1 credit and then fix them. I was hoping to reread the entire Dune saga (this time on the Kindle 3 when it becomes available). Now I think I'll just dig out my original hard-covers instead. Very disappointed!

I think the fact that there are over 480 reviews of this book on Amazon.com, almost all of them 5 stars, tells you something - this book is one of the best-loved sci-fi books in existence, inspiring an almost cult-like following. And no doubt Dune IS a fine work of epic fiction ("a cast of thousands"), but it is definitely not perfect, as many reviews would have you believe. Let's start with the many positives: in Dune, Frank Herbert has created a complex, richly-textured, fascinating, internally consistent (for the most part), other world. The world comes complete with it's own fascinating politics, economics, awareness of ecology (specifically, the importance of water), language (largely borrowed from Arabic), mythologies, good guys and bad guys (of course), heroes, traitors, etc. And it's a rip-roaring story which is almost impossible to put down!

What you also get in Dune is a whole hodgepodge (sometimes confusing, sometimes ready to fly apart at the seams) of Zen-influenced philosophy, Machiavellian political intrigue (rival houses, the Emperor, CHOAM, the Bene Gesserit "witches", Mentats, spys, assassins, etc.), Arab-influenced desert culture and language, ecology, "planetology" (and Kynes, the Imperial planetologist) mysticism and religion aplenty, human psychology, a whole inter-galactic economic system (based on "spice"), and Star Wars-quality adventure. Whether or not this all manages to hold together is a good question, and I basically (with reservations) think it does, this book is really not comparable to any other that I know of, exactly. And things are not as "black and white" as they seem at first glance - although the Harkonnens ARE really nasty and the Atreides ARE really good (the Fremen and others tend to be far more ambiguous). And of course, there is possibly Herbert's greatest creation, the giant sandworms ("makers"), and the precious "spice" produced by them without which the whole empire would fall apart. Paul Atreides himself is a smart, likeable, charismatic character, and is basically an excellent example of a the somewhat cliched "boy comes of age and grows into a man" character. Actually, Paul's growth in this novel is not just from boy to man, but actually further, to something way beyond (almost superhuman), namely the Kwisatz Haderach - the man (can't be a woman, for somewhat obscure reasons which come awfully close to nonsensical psychobabble) who can see where others cannot, and who bridges space and time.

I DO find the whole concept of being able to "see the future" fascinating the way Herbert presents it, not simplistically at all, but as a dynamic process whereby, like the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the very act of observing something changes it. In fact, Herbert's view of the future (and the past) is basically an incredibly complex set of possibilities converging at a nexus point (in Dune, it's mainly Paul Muad'Dib) and subject to change via the slightest move. How does Paul remain sane with such knowledge and such a "terrible burden"? How is he able to act and not remain paralyzed with fear when he knows that anything he does might unleash a galaxy-wide "jihad"? That's all really interesting stuff, and Herbert generally handles it well.

Now here are the main problems (far fewer than the positives, and if you are one of the "cult" people, you might not want to read this!) with "Dune": 1) sometimes Herbert gets carried away with all the mystical/philosophical mumbo-jumbo and jargon (seems brilliant when you're 16, sort of like "Atlas Shrugged", but give it a couple of decades and see what you think then!); 2) Herbert sometimes forgets that his characters are just people, not superbeings, which I think makes them less believable and harder to relate to (unlike, let's say, Frodo in the Lord of the Rings); 3) all of the plot twists -- the "feints within feints within feints" can at times get a little confusing/tedious, even after multiple readings; 4) all this "terrible purpose" stuff can get annoying and a little over-the-top and silly at times (sometimes I feel like saying "c'mon Frank, lighten up a little bit!"); and 5) Herbert is an adequate, but certainly not a great prose stylist.

But, all that said (cultists can start to read again now), Dune is still an excellent book and well worth reading, probably several times, each time on a different level (there are many here in this multi-layered book). Definitely DON'T waste your time on the awful movie (unless you're a big Sting fan), and also I would say avoid the sequels as well (I've read most of them). Frank Herbert had one first-rate (despite its flaws) book in him, and this is the one! Essential reading for any sci-fi fan.