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nastya 's Reviews > Dune
Dune (Dune, #1)
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nastya 's review
bookshelves: sf, over-600, x2, genius-loci, treasured-read-24
Aug 28, 2020
bookshelves: sf, over-600, x2, genius-loci, treasured-read-24
Read 2 times. Last read January 14, 2024 to February 3, 2024.
Some books give so much more on a reread.
This time I had no problems with the pacing. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a page-turner, this book is to be savored in a leisurely manner, one glorious set-piece after the other. I had no problem with Chani romance this time, there’s something precious and beautiful in a love story that has no start, making it a love without borders of time. And I just tend to enjoy the melancholy mood of the piece, the tragedy of great noble people failing, the tragic fate of Paul’s leadership and zealotry of the people whose actions become his responsibility. This is a beautiful book full of pathos with a meh ending, but what can you do? Satisfying endings are hard, and it's not like this is the real ending of this story.
And no, I haven’t seen the movie.
Previous thoughts:
This book is an ancient greek epic written by Homer but in space.
First few hundred pages are a bit dense and a lot of people I know stopped reading in the beginning. But if you keep going, you’ll find a unique and epic world. I see where Stargate, Star Wars, Avatar and even Tremors got inspirations. A lot of politics, religion and even magic.
It’s a plot or maybe even idea driven story. Characters are not very complex. And I don’t know if I caught everything on the first reading. We have a lot of inner monologues and all big battles happened behind the scenes.
I’ve read the whole book and I cannot tell you what Paul's personality is except he is a chosen one(in this book at least). Lady Jessica is a ninja and spiritual leader and the best character. Baron did not age well (he is the most evil disgusting fat guy who cannot even stand by himself and also only homosexual and rapist. yikes) Great love of Paul and Chani came to be because they foresaw their love. And then it happened between chapters. And I really disliked Chani. There was nothing to her. I hope in the movie they’ll give her a personality.
But I loved Arrakis. And I want to see it on a big screen.
This time I had no problems with the pacing. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a page-turner, this book is to be savored in a leisurely manner, one glorious set-piece after the other. I had no problem with Chani romance this time, there’s something precious and beautiful in a love story that has no start, making it a love without borders of time. And I just tend to enjoy the melancholy mood of the piece, the tragedy of great noble people failing, the tragic fate of Paul’s leadership and zealotry of the people whose actions become his responsibility. This is a beautiful book full of pathos with a meh ending, but what can you do? Satisfying endings are hard, and it's not like this is the real ending of this story.
And no, I haven’t seen the movie.
Previous thoughts:
This book is an ancient greek epic written by Homer but in space.
First few hundred pages are a bit dense and a lot of people I know stopped reading in the beginning. But if you keep going, you’ll find a unique and epic world. I see where Stargate, Star Wars, Avatar and even Tremors got inspirations. A lot of politics, religion and even magic.
It’s a plot or maybe even idea driven story. Characters are not very complex. And I don’t know if I caught everything on the first reading. We have a lot of inner monologues and all big battles happened behind the scenes.
I’ve read the whole book and I cannot tell you what Paul's personality is except he is a chosen one(in this book at least). Lady Jessica is a ninja and spiritual leader and the best character. Baron did not age well (he is the most evil disgusting fat guy who cannot even stand by himself and also only homosexual and rapist. yikes) Great love of Paul and Chani came to be because they foresaw their love. And then it happened between chapters. And I really disliked Chani. There was nothing to her. I hope in the movie they’ll give her a personality.
But I loved Arrakis. And I want to see it on a big screen.
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Reading Progress
August 18, 2020
–
Started Reading
August 18, 2020
– Shelved
August 28, 2020
–
Finished Reading
January 14, 2024
–
Started Reading
January 19, 2024
–
18.78%
"“It's a beautiful morning, Sire," the guard said
"Yes, it is."
The Duke nodded, thinking: Perhaps this planet could grow on one. Perhaps it could become a good home for my son.
Then he saw the human figures moving into the flower fields, sweeping with them strange scythelike devices – dew gatherers. Water so precious here that even the dew must be collected.
And it could be a hideous place, the Duke thought."
page
166
"Yes, it is."
The Duke nodded, thinking: Perhaps this planet could grow on one. Perhaps it could become a good home for my son.
Then he saw the human figures moving into the flower fields, sweeping with them strange scythelike devices – dew gatherers. Water so precious here that even the dew must be collected.
And it could be a hideous place, the Duke thought."
January 24, 2024
–
29.75%
""Remember the tooth!" Yueh hissed. "The tooth!"
I want to put this book in the freezer right now 😖"
page
263
I want to put this book in the freezer right now 😖"
January 27, 2024
–
41.86%
"Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear's path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
page
370
January 28, 2024
–
47.51%
"The singer stopped, reached out a bandaged arm and closed the eyelids of the man on the litter.
Halleck drew a final soft chord from the baliset, thinking, Now we are seventy-three."
page
420
Halleck drew a final soft chord from the baliset, thinking, Now we are seventy-three."
January 29, 2024
–
50.57%
""No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero," his father said.
Then, as his planet killed him, it occurred to Kynes that his father and all the other scientists were wrong, that the most persistent principles of the universe were accident and error. Even the hawks could appreciate these facts."
page
447
Then, as his planet killed him, it occurred to Kynes that his father and all the other scientists were wrong, that the most persistent principles of the universe were accident and error. Even the hawks could appreciate these facts."
February 1, 2024
–
66.4%
""What do you see?" he demanded.
"I see us giving love to each other in a time of quiet between storms. It's what we were meant to do."
"You are the strong one, Chani," he muttered. "Stay with me."
"Always," she said, and kissed his neck."
page
587
"I see us giving love to each other in a time of quiet between storms. It's what we were meant to do."
"You are the strong one, Chani," he muttered. "Stay with me."
"Always," she said, and kissed his neck."
February 3, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-24 of 24 (24 new)
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message 1:
by
Nisha
(new)
Aug 21, 2020 10:20AM
WOW, I don't have what it takes to try this one. Are you enjoying it so far?
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Nisha wrote: "WOW, I don't have what it takes to try this one. Are you enjoying it so far?"It is quite dense and you basically thrown into this world with no explanation and feel a bit lost at first. Herbert doesn't hold your hand. But it is an interesting world and it feels very unique and I can definitely see how Stargate and Star wars and a lot of others were inspired by this one. You can totally handle it, just have patience. But I'm not yet a halfway through it so we'll see.
" a lot of people I know stopped reading in the beginning" *raises hand sheepishly."It’s a plot or maybe even idea driven story. " This sounds interesting. I'll try and pick this up before the movie comes out. Thanks for the rec.
Nisha wrote: "" a lot of people I know stopped reading in the beginning" *raises hand sheepishly."It’s a plot or maybe even idea driven story. " This sounds interesting. I'll try and pick this up before the mo..."
It really felt more like Odyssey than any other sci-fi I've read. Prose in the beginning was definitely stilted.
I am excited to see the movie almost exclusively for Oscar Isaac in a beard🤪
Tatiana wrote: "I am excited to see the movie almost exclusively for Oscar Isaac in a beard🤪"oh yeah! gimmie Oscar and Khal Drogo...
"This book is an ancient greek epic written by Homer but in space."Honestly... yeah not a bad way of putting it at all, now that I think about it! 😁
I’m glad to see that this book was better the second time around. Someday I may reread it, perhaps, maybe before part 2 of the movie (I saw part 1, and Chalamet can certainly play a 15-year-old with his boyish physique). We should buddy watch someday 😁
Nataliya wrote: "I’m glad to see that this book was better the second time around. Someday I may reread it, perhaps, maybe before part 2 of the movie (I saw part 1, and Chalamet can certainly play a 15-year-old wit..."Part 2 that is coming out this March? :)
Hey, Nastya, would you be happy to read Messiah at the beginning of March? I was just now thinking to try and do an audio re-read of this (your updates have exposed my shitty memory!). Hoping to get a couple of weeks in the workshop at work which would give me plenty of listening time :)
Jonathan wrote: "Hey, Nastya, would you be happy to read Messiah at the beginning of March? I was just now thinking to try and do an audio re-read of this (your updates have exposed my shitty memory!). Hoping to ge..."Sure, I'm fine with March. :)
Whoa, whoa, whoa . . . What have you done to Nastenka? What was in your food today? :PI'm happy that you enjoyed it this time, dear. I never cared for the romance in the first place, so it didn't bother me (or entice me). What I liked on my first read was the grand space opera story, the Greek myth undertones, and of course the Herr Baron. :D
Well deserved stars!
Marquise wrote: "Whoa, whoa, whoa . . . What have you done to Nastenka? What was in your food today? :PI'm happy that you enjoyed it this time, dear. I never cared for the romance in the first place, so it didn't..."
They have a sweet relationship until that clunky last scene where we were told in so many words, a bunch of times, that they both grieve. I wish they had one quiet private scene like the one Paul had with his mother in the tent grieving their Duke.
Would've helped, yeah. Now I'm curious how their relationship will be in the next book...
nastya wrote: "Part 2 that is coming out this March? :)"This March? Huh. Time flies.
Y'all are doing a reread of the whole series?
Nataliya wrote: "nastya wrote: "Part 2 that is coming out this March? :)"This March? Huh. Time flies."
Any news on what will it cover? I was rather disappointed by the lack of Feyd-Rautha in Part I.
(Yeah, yeah, I'm into the over-the-top Harkonnen villainy. Sue me! :P)
I think the current plan is only myself and Jonathan reading Messiah for the first time
Drat . . . Let's hope my slump is over by now, then.
Marquise wrote: "Drat . . . Let's hope my slump is over by now, then."🤞I hope it will!
