Name: Dune
Rating: 4.479166666666667 (24 reviews)
ISBN: 9780884833451

Frank Herbert

Paul Atreides and his family move to the planet Dune, and are forced into exile when his father's government is overthrown.

Dune

Piss_Peas

He looked down at his mother. She appeared peacefully asleep in a sitting position - her breathing even and deep.

A phrase out of the future that was his lonely past came into his mind: "She sleeps in the Waters of Life"

"I know you Chani, he whispered," "We've sat upon a ledge above the sand while I soothed your fears. We've caressed in the dark of the sietch. We've...." He found himself losing focus, tried to shake his head, stumbled.

She put a palm against his cheek, "I'm no longer afraid, Usul. Look at me. I see what you see when you hold me thus."

"I see us giving love to each other in a time of quiet between storms. It's what we were meant to do."

Insanely detailed, like reading alternate history 

Luke Proud

It took me a while to get through, but DUNE is easily one of the greatest books ever written. Like many, I was finally pushed to open this epic after watching DUNE: PART TWO, and while DENIS VILLENEUVE'S films are visual masterpieces, FRANK HERBERT'S novel operates on a whole different level.

What makes DUNE truly transcendent is HERBERT'S relationship with LANGUAGE. He doesn't just describe a world; he builds a living, breathing UNIVERSE through carefully crafted linguistics, subtle terminology, and deliberate pacing. His prose possesses a hypnotic, almost biblical weight. By weaving in terms from ARABIC, LATIN, and original dialects without overwhelming the reader, HERBERT makes the culture of ARRAKIS, the BENE GESSERIT, and the FREMEN feel thousands of years old. You don't just read about ARRAKIS—you feel the dry heat, taste the SPICE in the air, and absorb the absolute terrors of the deep desert.

​"I MUST NOT FEAR. 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 I WILL TURN THE INNER EYE TO SEE ITS PATH. WHERE THE FEAR HAS GONE THERE WILL BE NOTHING. ONLY I WILL REMAIN."

​One of my absolute favorite elements of HERBERT'S style is the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. Extracts from PRINCESS IRULAN'S future historical writings, BENE GESSERIT texts, and FREMEN lore serve as brilliant narrative devices. They give you a sense of cosmic scale and impending destiny before a single line of dialogue is spoken. Reading her reflections on PAUL'S journey creates a haunting sense of foresight that elevates the entire reading experience.

​"A BEGINNING IS THE TIME FOR TAKING THE MOST DELICATE CARE THAT THE BALANCES ARE CORRECT."

​While the movies are incredible, the book contains so much more depth that it simply must be read. HERBERT manages to balance complex POLITICAL intrigue, ECOLOGY, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, and human PSYCHOLOGY seamlessly. The exposition is immense, yet it never feels like a burden. HERBERT explains intricate systems with such natural finesse that the information never bogs down the narrative; instead, it enriches every decision the characters make.

​"THE MYSTERY OF LIFE ISN'T A PROBLEM TO SOLVE, BUT A REALITY TO EXPERIENCE."

​The ending of the novel is executed to perfection. It resolves the immediate tragedy and triumph of ARRAKIS while leaving an ominous, thrilling horizon. The final pages land with incredible weight, wrapping up PAUL'S initial arc while setting up the terrifying reality of what comes next. It left me thoroughly breathless and completely desperate to dive straight into DUNE: MESSIAH. If you've been on the fence about starting it because of its size or complexity, take the leap. It's a journey well worth every single page.

​"HE WHO CAN DESTROY A THING HAS THE REAL CONTROL OF IT."

James

A Masterpiece of World-Building!

​

It took me a while to get through, but DUNE is easily one of the greatest books ever written. Like many, I was finally pushed to open this epic after watching DUNE: PART TWO, and while DENIS VILLENEUVE'S films are visual masterpieces, FRANK HERBERT'S novel operates on a whole different level.

What makes DUNE truly transcendent is HERBERT'S relationship with LANGUAGE. He doesn't just describe a world; he builds a living, breathing UNIVERSE through carefully crafted linguistics, subtle terminology, and deliberate pacing. His prose possesses a hypnotic, almost biblical weight. By weaving in terms from ARABIC, LATIN, and original dialects without overwhelming the reader, HERBERT makes the culture of ARRAKIS, the BENE GESSERIT, and the FREMEN feel thousands of years old. You don't just read about ARRAKIS—you feel the dry heat, taste the SPICE in the air, and absorb the absolute terrors of the deep desert.

​"I MUST NOT FEAR. 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 I WILL TURN THE INNER EYE TO SEE ITS PATH. WHERE THE FEAR HAS GONE THERE WILL BE NOTHING. ONLY I WILL REMAIN."

​One of my absolute favorite elements of HERBERT'S style is the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. Extracts from PRINCESS IRULAN'S future historical writings, BENE GESSERIT texts, and FREMEN lore serve as brilliant narrative devices. They give you a sense of cosmic scale and impending destiny before a single line of dialogue is spoken. Reading her reflections on PAUL'S journey creates a haunting sense of foresight that elevates the entire reading experience.

​"A BEGINNING IS THE TIME FOR TAKING THE MOST DELICATE CARE THAT THE BALANCES ARE CORRECT."

​While the movies are incredible, the book contains so much more depth that it simply must be read. HERBERT manages to balance complex POLITICAL intrigue, ECOLOGY, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, and human PSYCHOLOGY seamlessly. The exposition is immense, yet it never feels like a burden. HERBERT explains intricate systems with such natural finesse that the information never bogs down the narrative; instead, it enriches every decision the characters make.

​"THE MYSTERY OF LIFE ISN'T A PROBLEM TO SOLVE, BUT A REALITY TO EXPERIENCE."

​The ending of the novel is executed to perfection. It resolves the immediate tragedy and triumph of ARRAKIS while leaving an ominous, thrilling horizon. The final pages land with incredible weight, wrapping up PAUL'S initial arc while setting up the terrifying reality of what comes next. It left me thoroughly breathless and completely desperate to dive straight into DUNE: MESSIAH. If you've been on the fence about starting it because of its size or complexity, take the leap. It's a journey well worth every single page.

​"HE WHO CAN DESTROY A THING HAS THE REAL CONTROL OF IT."

I have to say I was a bit skeptical at first because science fiction books were not really my thing up until now, but boy would I have missed out if I hadn't read this. 

It has been a long time since I've read such an action-packed book which kept me this hooked for over almost 900 pages. I caught myself several times unable to stop reading because it was so thrilling.

Definitely a recommendation for anyone who hasn't read it yet, even if you are not that into the science fiction genre.

Joschka

I have to say I was a bit skeptical at first because science fiction books were not really my thing up until now, but boy would I have missed out if I hadn't read this. 

It has been a long time since I've read such an action-packed book which kept me this hooked for over almost 900 pages. I caught myself several times unable to stop reading because it was so thrilling.
Definitely a recommendation for anyone who hasn't read it yet, even if you are not that into the science fiction genre.

What a start. Obviously easier to read after watching the recent movies, but the world-building is fantastic and astonishingly descriptive. The last 300~ pages were addictive, and the book in general could've honestly been a damn good standalone story/plot.

Jacob Lopez

La obra maestra de la ciencia ficción, con la dosis perfecta de conflictos políticos, problemas ambientales y sociales. La idea del falso mesías o del poder corrompiendo al libertador, simplemente me parece genial. 

Carlos Luna

Re-reading the first trilogy in anticipation of the third movie.

Very original sci-fi setting in which technology advancements are translated into advanced humans instead of machines. I really like the concept of the different schools/guilds evolving their humans into almost super-humans and witches - Clark's third law.

The rise and fall of Paul still feels a very traditional "Hero's Journey" - the more interesting themes of 'beware charismatic leader' and plots within plot within plots to remove Paul from power are still to come in the following book, which is my favorite and the reason I am so excited for the third movie.

A good stablishing of the basic universe, specially the Fremen, Arrakis, the Atreides vs. Harkonnen feud and the basic schools/guilds.

The language is very dry (ha!) and sometimes you feel the length and age of the book. I don't think is a book for everyone because of that and not some idea of it being too complex.

The audiobook would be absolutely great if they had gone through with the idea of having different actors for the main characters. The Baron Harkonnen specially had a fantastic actor which made every scene with his voice awesome. Unfortunately, they didn't do this for the whole book and only some scenes are interpreted by different actors for each character. In others, only the main narrator speaks. Not that he is bad, but this mix is a detriment to the book. Either have different actors for each character or a single narrator throughout. As it is, it's confusing.

Lucas Padeiro

Re-reading the first trilogy in anticipation of the third movie.

Very original sci-fi setting in which technology advancements are translated into advanced humans instead of machines. I really like the concept of the different schools/guilds evolving their humans into almost super-humans and witches - Clark's third law.

The rise and fall of Paul still feels a very traditional "Hero's Journey" - the more interesting themes of 'beware charismatic leader' and plots within plot within plots to remove Paul from power are still to come in the following book, which is my favorite and the reason I am so excited for the third movie.

A good stablishing of the basic universe, specially the Fremen, Arrakis, the Atreides vs. Harkonnen feud and the basic schools/guilds.

The language is very dry (ha!) and sometimes you feel the length and age of the book. I don't think is a book for everyone because of that and not some idea of it being too complex.

The audiobook would be absolutely great if they had gone through with the idea of having different actors for the main characters. The Baron Harkonnen specially had a fantastic actor which made every scene with his voice awesome. Unfortunately, they didn't do this for the whole book and only some scenes are interpreted by different actors for each character. In others, only the main narrator speaks. Not that he is bad, but this mix is a detriment to the book. Either have different actors for each character or a single narrator throughout. As it is, it's confusing.

A beautiful beginning from John Dune, truly never a dull moment!

Hayden Helfer

First book idk what rating liked the movie better 

Ali Gumer

De los mejores libros que he leído en mi vida, este universo y la forma tan maravillosa en la que está escrito lo hace demasiado interesante e inmersivo, se nota como inspira otras miles historias que hemos visto en todos lados de la ciencia ficción.

Lo leí en inglés pero sin duda lo releería en español.

Mauro Muñoz

De los mejores libros que he leído en mi vida, este universo y la forma tan maravillosa en la que está escrito lo hace demasiado interesante e inmersivo, se nota como inspira otras miles historias que hemos visto en todos lados de la ciencia ficción.

Lo leí en inglés pero sin duda lo releería en español.

vincent

g00bby

Bureshu

Kyle Cotton

Matthew Morris

Maceo Clark

Soii

Sam Steiner

Joey Carpenter

Ross Keeley

Alex Green

Le début de cette fresque de science-fiction. L'épice est l'enjeu de plusieurs planètes.

Dune

Reviews

Highlights