Dune (Dune - Frank Herbert)

Name: Paradis

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Dune - Frank Herbert
Date:	15/02/05 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An absorbing read

Disadvantages: None

Melange, is a spice grown only on the desert terrain of Arrakis, a hot, barren planet, known to it's inhabitants as Dune. It is a harsh, unforgiving place to live, with vicious, giant sandworms living under the sand, that guard the precious spice, and no water at all.

Melange has special properties, allowing pilots to see into the future, helping them with their space travel. Without the spice, they would not be able to travel. The spice also prolongs the life of those that use it, and is highly addictive.

Duke Leto is given the planet Arrakis to look after and control, he is a gentle and kind man, with many good qualities, considering the harsh world they live in. Herbert develops the character of a compassionate man, who, even though water is non existent on Arrakis, will spare water for beggars. Who makes the decision to save the workers when the sand worms attack the mining area. In the end, his kindness is his downfall, as the Harkonnen's have him killed, so they can take control of Arrakis back. Lady Jessica and Paul flee for their lives and seek the help of the Bedouin type natives, where Jessica becomes a reverend Mother and a very important religious figure.

Lady Jessica, Duke Leto's wife, is a member of the secret Bene Gesserit society, and is supposed to produce a daughter for the Bene Gesserit breeding programme, but she has a son, Paul instead. At first this is frowned upon, But, due to the nature of the spice, females using the spice, have a weakness, in not being able to see a certain part of the future, the Bene Gesserit,discover that Paul could be the missing link. He has the ultimate power to see all the future, and it comes to pass, that they see him as the saviour, the Messiah, a male Bene Gesserit with super human powers. Paul knows the value placed on the spice (it is their currency, their livelihood, their very existence) yet with that very knowledge, he also knows, the only way forward is to stop the spice trade. Paul is more than just an ordinary boy, and is possibly the one who will put everything right. Paul, is known as Maud'Dib (Little Kangaroo)by the Fremen, the Bedouin warrior people, who dream of free running water and green plants in their barren, sand locked world.

In my opinion, if you have never read the book, Dune, by Frank Herbert, then you can't really call yourself a SciFi reader. Whether you like it or not, that's another matter, and a matter of taste. But you should have at least tried to read it, because I believe Dune is the epitome of philosophy and politics in the world of SciFi. With just a slight overdosing on Melange, the hip drug to be taking if you are anybody, or aspire to be anybody, in the world of Dune. Dune is just the right blend of SciFi and fantasy. It is a story about how the desire for power, wealth and knowledge destroys lives.

Frank Herbert created an artistic vision, a story connecting fantastic worlds, and his visions of genetics seemed far fetched and were way ahead of the time. But Herbert liked to confuse and challenge his readers. Dune, set 8,000 years in the future, is an extremely well written book, but takes a little time to work out the plot lines, once you have that under your belt, you will really enjoy the world of Dune, or Arrakis, as the planet is properly called. Make no mistake, Dune isn't for everyone. Once you go through around 50 pages, you will either love or hate it. I am not sure there is any middle line. This story is aimed at a particular type of reader. Someone who likes deep, meaningful and philosophical plots will love it, someone that likes a light and easy read, probably won't. You are not going to pick up this book for an odd ten minute time filler. You are going to pick up this book and become involved, for this is the nature of Dune. This is a book that grabs you, shakes you, and demands your full attention, if you don't give it, you won't get into it.

This Hugo and Nebula award winning book, is very creative, a great example of world building. Not too many books manage to succeed in this goal. It is a masterpiece, describing the noble, honest, upstanding House of Atreides and it's move onto the barren planet of Arrakis, with issues covering the ecology, religion and politics. The Altreides feudal disputes with the cruel and evil Harkonnens is the meat of this book, and proves to be a web of intrigue. A lot of this story is told as a narrative, and it works very well this way. An observer that can see both sides of the conflict, both the evil and the good houses that are opposed to each other. What I like about the book, apart from the good plot, and rich panoramas, and in depth characters, is how easy it is to identify with the characters, especially Paul Atreides, whom you instantly feel compassion for. He has a huge responsibility heaped onto his young shoulders, and in building up for his destiny as a super being, he loses his real identity.

Originally, Dune was part of a trilogy, with, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune as the second and third, but as you may already know, there are many more books in the saga, and when Herbert died in 1986, his son Brian Herbert took the reigns, and continued the saga with two more books. I particularly like Dune, it is a very pleasant read, with a deep, strong unusual story line, with many sub plots, and enough nuances to keep you interested.

If you have never been tempted to read this wonderful book about the importance of water to life on Arrakis, and are intrigued with the religious and political turmoil, then go pick up a copy. Buy it or borrow it, but read it. It is a must!

Summary: