Summary:
Paul Atredies, born into a futuristic dystopian society as royalty, must unpack his true destiny
when he travels to the desert planet of Arrakis, a rugged, worn-torn planet, containing the most
valuable resource in the universe, spice. For nearly 80 years prior, the royal house of Harkoneen
had ruled over Arrakis, harvesting spice at the Emperor's will, the ruler of the Great Houses
including the Atreides and Harkonnen. Suspiciously, the Adredies, by order of the Emperor are
sent to Arrakis to replace the Harkonnen operation only to find that it was a set-up, to eventually
destroy the Atreides once in for all. Paul, son to the Duke of Atreides, and his mother, narrowly
escape the attack and must team up with the Fremen, the native Arakeen people who have
mastered the ways of the desert through years of training and experience. Paul must seek out his
true destiny and avenge the Atreides, the Fremen, and most importantly, Arrakis.
Opinion:
Dune by Frank Herbert, is a compelling choice for any teenager who is a fan of science fiction
and adventure. I originally found my inspiration for reading Dune after watching the most recent
movie; it’s when I realized I couldn’t stop myself from reading a story as epic as this one. The
plot and setting is easily the most appealing part of the novel: a futuristic world with advanced
technology and weapons with large battles between huge armies, what could possibly be more
exciting? Besides its over-the-top appeal, the novel feels very grounded with its characters.
Herbert’s style of narration switches POV many times, going through each major character’s
through processes, switching almost every chapter. It can be a bit of a bore especially for those
looking for an intense thriller at every moment. Personally, I feel as though the middle section of
the novel was quite boring and uneventful with a constant feeling of “are we there yet?” nagging
me at the back of my mind as I read it. I also found the ending to be slightly anticlimactic and
sudden, as if there should have been a solid twenty or thirty more pages to wrap it up. In short, if
you are interested in a faster pace introduction to a brand new fictitious world with suspense and
don’t mind a slower-paced section where Herbert expresses his own philosophical views in
unique ways, then Dune may be one you want to try out.
Rating (3/5):
I ultimately give Dune a three as it was entertaining and fun to read overall. Looking in
hindsight, I didn’t enjoy the book quite as much as I wanted to, especially after watching the
movie, which prevents me from rating it any higher than a three.