Dune by Frank Herbert

 

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. 

Just My Thoughts

I began reading Dune, by Frank Herbert, in paperback and by page twenty five realised I should switch to the audiobook. Why? I wanted to finish it before my book club, but I also felt it would be easier listening rather than reading. 

DUNE WAS SO BORING.

Yes. I am that reader with the unpopular opinion of Dune. Granted it is going to be a daunting read to begin with. Dune has won awards and is known in science fiction circles as epic. It's the grand-daddy of space opera. It's also 400+ pages depending on the edition and if you count the appendices. 

So going in knowing all these things I wanted to enjoy Dune. I really wanted to. I found my interest wasn't piqued until I reached roughly 250 pages. Even then it was mostly due to the change in scenery. The characters were flat, the descriptions were wordy, and I wasn't a fan of the politics.

The audiobook didn't help matters either. At first it seemed as though the audiobook was going to be done quite well. There was a cast with a few different voice actors, what could go wrong? Unfortunately they switched up voice actors and one glaringly obvious one was Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He bagan with a wonderful baritone voice until more than half way through the story where he lost his baritone and sounded like everyone else.

What Dune did have going for it was the world-building and this is what kept me intrigued. I love an extensive and vivid imagination in a writer. The customs of the Fremen, the inhabitants of Arrakis, was fascinating, but unfortunately neither of these things was enough to save the story for me. 

I'm proud of myself for reading Dune. Making my way through such a daunting novel and now understanding the beginning of the story is an accomplishment to me. I can see why it is considered a classic and how Frank Herbert is such a big name in science fiction. I am curious about what happens to one character in the story, but not enough to want to pick up the next instalment. Instead I'm going to opt for the movie remake. 

• Author: Frank Herbert
• Genre: Science Fiction - Add to Goodreads or StoryGraph
• Find At: Kinokuniya - Dymocks - QBD - Abbey's - Booko