DUNE, A NOVEL BY FRANK HERBERT, BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION

Published in 1965, Dune is a science fiction classical. It won both the Nebula in 1965 and the Hugo award in 1966. This novel achieved a cult status among science fiction fans. Even those who have not read Dune have probably heard about it, for Dune has been adopted a number of times. In fact, a new adaptation will hit the theatres any time now. Today I shall not talk about the movie versions I saw, not because I do not  respect or like them, but rather because I want to focus on the novel itself.  While I am not one of those bookworms that hates every movie adaptation before even seeing it, book reviewing is what I do best. I did study literature for five years, but even before I did that, writing about books always came naturally to me. Besides, I would have to see the films anew to be able to review them.

 The book on the other hand, I have read a number of times, so reviewing it shall be easy. Moreover, I listened to an audio excerpts from Dune back in December and they are still fresh in my mind. My focusing on the book does not mean that you should not  watch the films. In fact, I am grateful for the movie adaptations because they inspired me to look for this book in the first place.  Anyhow, I quoted Herbert and the Dune series on my blog before, I even reviewed some of his other works, but I do not think I shared a full review of Dune yet. Today seems a good day as any to do it. The photographs I choose to accompany my book review are about a year old and were taken in Split city. I mixed these photographs up with photographs of the final book in the series, taken a few days ago. You probably can guess that the art you can see on the photographs is mine. 

Dune, the first novel in the Dune series, is (in my view) absolutely one of those life-changing reads. It is unique, that is for sure. The novel is wildly imaginative, set in an unique dystopian future and populated with some of the most memorable characters I have ever come across. Dune takes world building on a whole new level but at the same time, it speaks of our present human society. It offers a future vision of mankind, but our struggles are still the same. Dune is a very relevant novel that raises numerous questions about religion, power, politics and identity. As many science fiction works I admire, Dune asks the question- What does it mean to be human? Some of its characters exhibit or acquire superhuman abilities, but even they are often trapped by the constraints of human society and their own social programming. It is fascinating to observe the conflict between the individual and the society in this book so rich in meaning and philosophical questions. The imagined world of Dune can be seen as a mirror in which we can see our inner selves. Many of the principal characters in this novel find themselves trapped between their duty to the outside world and their duty to themselves. Among the ruling class, often it is hard to remain truthful, even to the loved ones. There is always danger, lurking both outside and inside. Dune is the best selling science fiction novel of all times- and deserving so. It wouldn't be far fetched to call it the best science fiction work of all times. When it comes to my personal reading experience, it is certainly one of the best novels I have read, science fiction or otherwise. Besides the absolute fascination the world building presented for me, I was (and still am) deeply fascinated with the individual characters. The psychological portrait of the characters is wonderful. The power structures in Dune are so well presented and an interesting area to study. There are so many fascinating societies within this dystopian world and they are all well presented in the characters themselves. In fact, most important characters almost always present a certain key structure of society. Dune is a world of the future but one where technology is taboo. Space travel exists, but planets are ruled by feudal houses - all of them united under the rule of a single king. The emperor with the noble houses may seem at the top, but it is the secret societies that hold much power- such as the 'witches', i.e. Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of women who like to rule from the shadows. They are one of the key figures in the Dune universe, often using religion to manipulate others and achieve their gains. What is so ingenious about Dune is that all of this world building just flows with the plot and the introduction of characters. The plot of the novel starts when a noble family Atreides has to leave a water planet they rule in an exchange for Dune (Rakis), a desert planet where 'spice' (a mysterious substance that elongates life and hold the Empire together) is produced by giant worms. The descriptions of planets are fantastic and many interesting questions are raised in terms of ecology, the effect we have on nature (and vice versa). This planet is really a character in itself. Human influence to the planet they inhabit is a theme much discussed in the novel. Moreover, the influence our surrounding and training may have on us is often examined. I already mentioned the sisterhood as a key force in the novel. These female society uses many technics to improve their minds and be able to control others. The noble houses use the services of sisterhood and other trained societies such as human computers Mentats, but are often unaware of the fact that sisters have an agenda of their own. That is what makes them different from other specially trained individuals from different schools such as trained doctors knows as Suk doctors or human computers known as Mentats. Duke Leto, the patriarch of a family is a deeply honorable man loved by many. His only heir is Paul, a boy described as unusually small for his age (but very clever and promising). Paul's mother Jessica, a Bene Gesserit pupil, is officially a concubine to Leto but is treated and loved as a wife. The reason why Duke Leto hadn't married her are strictly political. The love that exists in this relationship will have many interesting consequences. The product of that love is Paul- a boy who is under a watchful eyes of everyone. Jessica betrays her sisterhood when she gives birth to a son, as they demanded a daughter of her. This betrayal is something unheard of and Jessica knows her son is in mortal danger. Her choice also sets the whole political balance at risk. If she gave birth to a girl, she could have been married to someone important, ensuring peace. Duke Leto has reasons to worry about the safety of his son as well. Leto does not know the sacrifice Jessica has committed for him nor what it means. He may ignorant of many things, but he is not a foolish man and understand who his enemies are most of the time. Despite loving one another sincerely, Duke Leto and Jessica are forced to hide secrets one from another. Their son is forced to grow up fast. Jessica trains Paul in secret, hoping he will learn enough to protect himself. His father does he best he can and the boy is also not without other teachers, for example sword master Duncan Idaho, Mentat T. Hawat and warrior Gurney. Early on, Paul learns some important lessons:...“What has mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises—no matter the mood! Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. It's not for fighting.” Dune starts off as a story of a noble Atreides family and while it remains focused on this family (or the surviving members of it), with time Paul steps onto the scene. With many wanting him dead, Paul is forced to find a way out of his predicament. Indeed, it is Paul's actions that change the course of history. Towards the end, there is no doubt who is the protagonist of this novel. As the young boy Paul risks his life to acquire supernatural abilities, we see him grow up into a man determined to do what it takes to save his family and claim what is his. However, what is the price Paul will have to pay? The question is both metaphysical and practical. I cannot really say more without giving away the plot and including numerous spoilers. What I can say is that this novel contains plenty of action and that the plot is very eventful. There are murders and murder attempts, constant suspicious and several betrayals. There is an opposing noble family, the House Harkonnen that wants to destroy Paul and will not stop at nothing. At the same time, there is much philosophy within its pages. The characters are definitely one of the strengths of this novel. It is interesting how the characters that were created in this novel haunt all the sequels and sometimes even get repeated again. In a way, Lady Jessica survives in the sisterhood, Idaho lives on in his gholas and Paul/Leto survive through all the numerous Atreides descendants. Not surprising, especially considering how real of these characters seem. Many cite Dune as their favourite work in the series. Some say that none of the sequels are as good as the first book. Although I honestly love all the sequels, I won't deny there is some magic at work in this first book in the series. It contains so much within itself. Highly recommended for all fans of science fiction! I plan to publish book reviews for all the novels in the  Dune series, so stay posted. Thank you for stopping by.