Dune - Exclusive Gold Cover (original 1965; udgave 2018)

Excellent book, compelling story with great character development. The ending had me hooked! ( )

A Mighty Read, An Acquired Taste

I have known the story of Dune basically my entire life, but I had never read the book until I dived in three weeks ago. My Kindle tells me there are 722 pages in the edition I read and, at times, it felt like 1400. Honestly the first 30% of the book was slow going - so slow I almost decided it wasn't worth continuing. But I knew that Dune had been praised for decades as a science fiction masterpiece. I figured it had to start moving faster. And it did, but just barely as Paul and his mother began their adventure in the wilds of the desert on Arrakis. But throughout the book, Frank Herbert continues to do what made the first part slow going -- he paints an extremely detailed picture of nearly every aspect of life on Dune and in the Dune universe (which turns out to be our own, only 10,000 years or so in the future).

As I continued reading I became accustomed to new Dune words and phrases in nearly every paragraph. Yes, they slowed me down as I took a moment each time to figure out if I knew this word or if it was a newly made word from Dune. Eventually I just let the words seep into my psyche, accepting that I didn't need to know what each phrase meant; I just let them sink in and paint this rich, detailed picture of the world of Arrakis.

By the time my Kindle began telling me there was only 20% left in the book, I had a distinct feeling of sadness that I would soon have to leave this weird place with strange customs, politics, and religions. I felt that Herbert had wrapped me so completely in the cozy blanket of Dune that I did not want to leave it.

I don't think anyone could describe Dune as a thriller. It is not a page-turning rollercoaster ride of action. Dune's appeal lies in the artistry in which Herbert has created this world. I wanted to know what happened to all of these characters that he had so carefully developed. I wanted to know more about the places he references maybe only twice in 250,000 words. I wanted to know more about why this world had developed the way it had, and why were there so many things about it that were so familiar.

When I reached the end of the book and found myself at the first of several appendices, I had thought I would stop. As I said, this was a mighty read and reaching the end of the story had been my goal. But I tiptoed forward just to see what the appendices were all about. I was so glad that I did. In the appendices Herbert mentions "old Earth" which was an AH HA! moment for me. Now I understood why so many of the names and phrases seemed so familiar - the Dune universe is our own universe only (as best I could tell) about 10,000 years in the future. The religions in Dune have evolved from our current religions. All the characters in Dune are human, there are no aliens, which is strange for a story with space travel to all corners if the universe. The humans have evolved, becoming somewhat specialized at what they do, and even mutated into beings that may look different from humans (such as members of the Spice Guild). I had suspected this as I was reading, but the appendices (which are written as excerpts from textbooks from 10,000 years in the future) clarified all of this for me.

In the end, my final verdict on Dune is that I am glad I read it. I understand that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, which is why I am not giving it 5 stars, but I do consider it a masterpiece of science fiction. Herbert wrote several additional books in the series, and his son Brian Herbert has written several as well. Although Brian has not finished all of them yet, there will be sixteen Dune novels when all is said and done. Here are a few:

[b:Dune|44767458|Dune (Dune, #1)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639]
[b:God Emperor of Dune|44439415|God Emperor of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #4)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564025916l/44439415._SY75_.jpg|3634588]
[b:Dune Messiah|44492285|Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, #2)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577043824l/44492285._SY75_.jpg|3634570]
[b:Heretics of Dune|44492287|Heretics of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #5)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564027750l/44492287._SY75_.jpg|3634575]
[b:Chapterhouse: Dune|44439416|Chapterhouse Dune (Dune Chronicles, #6)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564029233l/44439416._SY75_.jpg|3634569]
[b:Children of Dune|44492286|Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #3)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564783201l/44492286._SY75_.jpg|3634573]
[b:House Atreides|761575|House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181106l/761575._SY75_.jpg|711892]
[b:Sandworms of Dune|42434|Sandworms of Dune (Dune Chronicles #8)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442092604l/42434._SY75_.jpg|41917]
[b:House Harkonnen|20253|House Harkonnen (Prelude to Dune #2)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181168l/20253._SY75_.jpg|705946]
[b:Hunters of Dune|20249|Hunters of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #7)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429681489l/20249._SY75_.jpg|4911]
[b:The Butlerian Jihad|99219|The Butlerian Jihad (Legends of Dune, #1)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505458671l/99219._SX50_.jpg|1278722]

As I sloshed through those first slow chapters I never thought I would say this, but I will definitely return to Dune. Maybe not now. I have so many other books I want to read, but I will go back. Now that this vivid picture of the desert planet and all of its inhabitants are in my mind, I want to know more about them. I want to know more about Dune's past and its future which, it turns out, is our own future.

4 out of 5 stars ( )

Coming back to this when I have more time. Really good so far, though.

5 stars

“He who controls the X controls the Y.”
A familiar concept, but very few writers have managed to adapt it so succinctly as Frank Herbert with the spice of Arrakis. The spice – a highly addictive substance, that makes your eyes blue and grants you powers similar to clairvoyance, is highly prized in the universe, especially since withdrawal from it is lethal. It is up to a young duke of the house Atreides to inherit his father’s throne and become the rightful prophesied ruler of the planet together with the help of the unique Fremen.

Recommended to fans of sci-fi, since Dune is a certified science fiction classic and people to whom guerilla warfare on a desert planet seems an attractive background for the schemes and disputes of nobles. ( )

Barone Harkonnen: Ascolta, mi dispiace, io non ho capito il tuo nome, ho capito il tuo, Gurney, ma non ho capito il tuo...
Stilgar: Mi chiamo Jerda e non e' con le chiacchere che uscirai da questa merda
Barone Harkonnen: Voglio solo dire quanto ci dispiace che le cose siano andate a puttane tra noi e il signor Atreides, noi ci siamo messi in questo affare con le migliori intenzioni, davvero..
Stilgar: (sparando al Na-Barone sdraiato sul divano)oh, scusami, ho spezzato la tua concentrazione.. non volevo farlo.. per favore, continua.. dicevi qualcosa a proposito.. delle migliori intenzioni..
Barone Harkonnen: ...
Stilgar: ma che ti prende.. avevi finito?.. interessante, ma non mi hai convinto, sai?..Di' un po', Paul Atreides che aspetto ha?
Barone Harkonnen: Cosa?
Stilgar: (rivoltando il tavolo) da che paese vieni?
Barone Harkonnen: cosa?
Stilgar: cosa e' un paese che non ho mai sentito nominare.. li' parlano la mia lingua?..
Barone Harkonnen: cosa?
Stilgar: la mia lingua, figlio di puttana, tu la sai parlare?
Barone Harkonnen: siii siii
Stilgar: allora capisci quello che dico..
Barone Harkonnen: siiii si si
Stilgar: descrivimi percio' Paul Atreides, che aspetto ha
Barone Harkonnen: cosa?
Stilgar: di cosa un altra volta, di cosa un altra volta, ti sfido, 2 volte, ti sfido, figlio di puttana, di cosa un altra maledettissima volta
Barone Harkonnen: e' magro...
Stilgar: vai avanti
Barone Harkonnen: Ha una tuta distillante..
Stilgar: secondo te sembra una puttana?
Barone Harkonnen: cosa?
Stilgar: (facendo fuoco sulla spalla del ragazzo)Secondo te...lui...ha l'aspetto d'una puttana?
Barone Harkonnen: nooooo
Stilgar: perche' allora hai cercato di fotterlo come una puttana
Barone Harkonnen: non l'ho fatto..
Stilgar: si tu l'hai fatto...si tu l'hai fatto, Barone, hai cercato di fotterlo, ma a Paul Atreides non piace farsi fottere da anima viva tranne che dalle signore Atreides: Chani o la Principessa Irulan ... leggi la Bibbia Cattolico Orangista, Vladimir?
Barone Harkonnen: si
Stilgar: e allora ascolta questo passo che conosco a memoria, e' perfetto per l'occasione: Ezechiele 25:17...Il cammino dell'uomo timorato e'minacciato da ogni parte dalle iniquita' degli esseri egoisti e dalla tirannia degli uomini malvagi. Benedetto sia colui che nel nome della carita' e della buona volonta' conduce i deboli attraverso la valle delle tenebre perche' egli e' in verita' il pastore di suo fratello e il ricercatore dei figli smarriti. E la mia giustizia calera' sopra di loro con grandissima vendetta e furiosissimo sdegno, su coloro che proveranno ad ammorbare ed infine a distruggere i miei fratelli. E tu saprai che il mio nome e' quello di Muad'Dib quando faro' calare la mia vendetta sopra di te...(molteplici colpi di pistola)
( )