Dune Review [CC]

Links to books I talked about in this video
(These are affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I get a small percentage of the sale):

WHERE TO FIND ME:

[Surllio]

The best line from Herbert was at a college talk. "I wrote the Dune series because I had this idea that charismatic leaders ought to come with a warning label on their forehead: May be dangerous to your health." It beautifully sums up what its about. Paul, with all his foresight still makes decisions that put billions in jeopardy. The horrors of purposefully placed prophecy that can and will be exploited and what its followers might do despite the wishes of those they follow.

[QuinnsIdeas]

Wow, I LOVED this video! This is a great review, very balanced and honest. Thanks for making this.

[smartalec]

It was kind of ironically interesting reading Dr. Yueh’s agonised internal
monologue, knowing that history would remember him as a treacherous monster to the point that there would be children’s songs about how villainous he was.

[toshomni]

The betrayal you mention in the book was considered impossible due to mental conditioning the character had that was supposed to prevent him from ever doing any harm under any circumstances. Even the people who managed to override his programming weren't sure how they did it.

[Fullbatteri]

The first time I read Dune, I loved it so much, that when I picked up Dune Messiah after finishing it, I only read like 10 pages and I felt that I HAD to re-read Dune because I “hadn’t enjoyed it enough”, and went back immediately, like when you’re listening to a song you love, and you have to repeat it because you weren’t really all into it and now you owe it a second listen... and a third...

Dune is really a masterpiece of literature, not just of fantasy and sci fi. But at the same time, I understand completely when someone doesn’t adore it like us Muad’Dib cultists, it’s a really unconventional book, just like Paul is an unconditional antihero.

Thanks for your review!

[junker]

This is quite an interesting take, I personally absolutely adored the writing style and inner monologue. It gave all the social interactions and scheming so much spice.

[babybalrog]

I'm so glad you picked up on Paul not being "the chosen one" heck he's not the chosen one three times over (breeding, freeman, and mentat). He fears what he is. He looses so much of his humanity. It is a great deconstruction of the troupe.

[Guthwulf]

As someone who loves Frank Herberts writing style and dune saga, I find your review and thoughts very fair. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Funny thing, that you mentioned "The Silmarillion". There is the "The Dune Encyclopedia" (a 1984 collection of essays about the world) which serves a very similar goal. I agree that the books are more about the philosophical discussion than the actual story itself. Although I love the characters (and the ways the story moves in unpredictable ways). I love Frank Herberts writing style but my favourite author is Umberto Eco (Foucault's Pendulum, The Name Of The Rose), who founded and developed one of the most important approaches in contemporary semiotics, usually referred to as interpretative semiotics, and is also known for his very complicated writing style and philosophical approach to his novels. So Frank Herberts approach to writing might be just my cup of tea. The use of inner monologue is for sure the most controversial decision concerning the writing style in Dune. I like it but also think that it is better utilized in the following books.

Many of the concepts, the world and the discussions Herberts wants to have, become more clear in the following books of the saga. To really understand what Frank Herbert tries to accomplish you have to complete at least "Children of Dune" (the 3rd book), which is not as daunting as you might think since Book 2 is fairly short. Book 1 is more an introduction into the world and a foundation for the following saga. It has also the most traditional "adventure" story in the series. For example in "God Emperor of Dune" (the 4th book), Frank Herbert analyzes the cyclical patterns of human society, as well as humanity's evolutionary drives. It has barely any story (or action) in it and consists mostly of philosophical discussions between the characters. So Dune definitly isn't for everyone. I find it highly fascinating. Sadly Frank Herbert died before he could finish the last book in the series. Decades later his sun Brian Herbert tried to finish the saga together with author Kevin J. Anderson partially based of Frank Herberts notes. They also wrote new books (like a prequel trilogy), but all these books are sadly rather shallow and no comparison to the depth in Frank Herberts original series. I can only suggest to ignore these. Dune ended for me with Frank Herberts last book in the saga, "Chapterhouse: Dune". Luckily it serves as good enough of a ending to be at least somewhat satisfying.

[artemis]

Nailed it! I'm 60 pages in and the writing is intense. The word usage, and the plot building... I've never read a book so slowly in my life! Constantly looking up words. I'm annotating this book, and I don't do that with other books. I feel this book should be a must read for highschool, if not for the vocabulary, but the thought provoking content.

[tuffguy]

We also have to keep in mind Dune was originally published in segments in an auto repair magazine. So that could explain the over explaining of some aspects.

[jameswitts]

I’ve read Dune 3 times in my life so far
Once in Afghanistan and once in Oman so I absolutely absorbed how it would feel to be isolated on a desert planet

Love the book and the series that continued

[technicaldeathmetalhead]

The thing about Dune is that it's obsessed with culture and evolution. Whereas Tolkien created a world inspired by languages, Herbert created worlds inspired by the evolution of religions and those who wish to control the course of human evolution. The Dune universe is about control. It's also about the rabid hype that follows influencers and the skeletons in their closets. Long story short, in my opinion, the story itself (ascension to a throne with political intrigue) isn't quite as engrossing without the context.

[pratappurswani]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Merphy uploading as often as she does? Love the vids 💖💖💖

[jackinthebox]

I think this is one of the most intelligent, in-depth, and meticulous reviews you've done in awhile. I really hope you end up seeing the 2020 movie adaptation by Denis Villeneuve. Maybe seeing the story adapted for modern audiences will give you another valuable perspective 🎥

[ketellynmanique]

Merphy: I need a Silmarillion for Dune
Me, a Dune stan: *I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED THAT, BUT I DO*

[MagnumOpus]

This review is the only one on the whole Internet I could find that balanced both praise and criticism, while also not summarizing the book. I read the book and enjoyed it, but everything you said was relatable and a niggling feeling I had. Thanks

[michaelhall]

“Respected it more than I loved it” precisely sums up my feelings while reading DUNE decades ago, after much cajoling on the part of a student teacher at my junior high school. I still feel much the same way to this day. If memory serves, part of my initial reaction was due to thwarted expectations — based on the cover artwork and jacket copy I was expecting a “Swiss Family Robinson”-style tale of survival on a forbidding alien world, rather than the heady blending of retro-future politics, technology and religion that I got. But Herbert’s clunky prose style, particularly with respect to the interior monologues, also didn’t help. (A Harvard Lampoon parody published in the early Seventies had the Duke reflecting “He must indeed be my son, else I would belt him for offmouthing thus.”) In fact, DUNE is a perfect example of what Kurt Vonnegut meant when he talked about science fiction authors who couldn’t write great prose to save their lives, and yet were the only people to take up topics like the impact of technology that were really worth writing about.

[artisticguineapig]

I’m surprisingly early so I’ll use this opportunity.

Merphy, your videos are always excellent and I love your in-depth reviews on genres and books, keep doing what you’re doing!

[tithannisk]

Dune is one of my favourite Si-Fi series but I find that the first book is just an introduction (despite being very long) nd the depth of what Franck Herbert was trying to do shines in the 4th book (God Emperor of Dune). Another Si-Fi series that I really love is Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons, mostly the first 2 books Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, really fascinating stories and concepts.

[TFcord]

Read it again in 2030. The first time I read it I was a kid than I read it again as a high school student and again as an adult. It could tell me something new all the time. To me, this makes it a good book.