Yun's Reviews > Dune
Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1)
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![30181442](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p2/30181442.jpg)
Let me start by first apologizing to everyone who loves this classic. I don't doubt Dune was something special when it first came out in the 1960s. But reading it for the first time today, it feels horribly outdated to me and at times almost incomprehensible.
I was warned going into this story that the beginning is extremely hard to understand, but that is an understatement. I could barely follow its scene after scene of dialogue referencing people and places and events, all with no explanation or context. It literally feels like I was just dropped into the middle of a book, and everything had already been explained elsewhere.
But it gets better, right? Well, only somewhat. A narrative does take shape, but the writing style remains confusing and obscure. It manages to be both long-winded and not clear enough, if you can believe that. Certain obvious points are harped on again and again, but other crucial ones are merely glossed over. Then, when you inevitably miss those important points, they create this cascading effect that keeps you mired in confusion.
The writing is also pretentious, with regular or nonsensical things consistently being presented in a profound way. There are plenty of extraneous paragraphs that sound good until you try to discern their meaning, at which point you'd be stumped. This sort of writing really confused me because I couldn't figure out which paragraphs mattered and needed to be dissected carefully to suss out their hidden meaning, and which ones are just adornment.
As for the story itself, it was a complete mismatch with my interests. I like science fiction with lots of real science. Instead, this is a space opera (a.k.a. a soap opera that takes place in space) with no actual science. It's all political intrigue, melodrama, doublespeak, and who has power over who, which I have zero interest in. I also couldn't care less about how fawningly amazing Paul is and how he is destined to be the chosen one.
This was such a frustrating reading experience because it could've been an amazing story. And there were moments in the beginning when I thought it was going in those creative directions. I was riveted during that infamous test in the first scene, only to realize that it was completely irrelevant to the rest of the story. Or to see where the book could take the scientific aspects of a desert planet and a population with so little water, which it didn't other than a bit of lip service.
But the book stubbornly chose to disregard these more interesting avenues, and instead took the most straightforward, boring route of making this into a story about power struggle. Well, we could've saved ourselves the bother and just stayed on Earth for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
I was warned going into this story that the beginning is extremely hard to understand, but that is an understatement. I could barely follow its scene after scene of dialogue referencing people and places and events, all with no explanation or context. It literally feels like I was just dropped into the middle of a book, and everything had already been explained elsewhere.
But it gets better, right? Well, only somewhat. A narrative does take shape, but the writing style remains confusing and obscure. It manages to be both long-winded and not clear enough, if you can believe that. Certain obvious points are harped on again and again, but other crucial ones are merely glossed over. Then, when you inevitably miss those important points, they create this cascading effect that keeps you mired in confusion.
The writing is also pretentious, with regular or nonsensical things consistently being presented in a profound way. There are plenty of extraneous paragraphs that sound good until you try to discern their meaning, at which point you'd be stumped. This sort of writing really confused me because I couldn't figure out which paragraphs mattered and needed to be dissected carefully to suss out their hidden meaning, and which ones are just adornment.
As for the story itself, it was a complete mismatch with my interests. I like science fiction with lots of real science. Instead, this is a space opera (a.k.a. a soap opera that takes place in space) with no actual science. It's all political intrigue, melodrama, doublespeak, and who has power over who, which I have zero interest in. I also couldn't care less about how fawningly amazing Paul is and how he is destined to be the chosen one.
This was such a frustrating reading experience because it could've been an amazing story. And there were moments in the beginning when I thought it was going in those creative directions. I was riveted during that infamous test in the first scene, only to realize that it was completely irrelevant to the rest of the story. Or to see where the book could take the scientific aspects of a desert planet and a population with so little water, which it didn't other than a bit of lip service.
But the book stubbornly chose to disregard these more interesting avenues, and instead took the most straightforward, boring route of making this into a story about power struggle. Well, we could've saved ourselves the bother and just stayed on Earth for that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
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Reading Progress
September 16, 2021
–
Started Reading
September 16, 2021
– Shelved
September 22, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 517 (517 new)
message 1:
by
Emily
(new)
Sep 23, 2021 09:25AM
![Emily Carter-Dunn](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1627928771p1/54361024.jpg)
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![Sam Martin](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1672668334p1/123271419.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Hi Emily! This seems to be a polarizing book, with lots of people who obviously loved it (including my husband). But it just wasn't for me, unfortunately!
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Haha! I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for getting through this tome! No I haven't... are you saying I should read it or I shouldn't? 😅
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Sam! I'm glad you loved it, as so many others do too! I read this book on my husband's urging because this is one of his favorite books. We were talking about it afterwards, and it was like we read two completely different books haha!
![nastya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1719152986p1/24672869.jpg)
Haha! I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for getting through this tome! No I ..."
oh you should, she's very different to Dune, she's much more digging inside. More anthropological sf I would say.
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Sounds good! Will add her to my list... thanks for the recommendation! ;)
![nastya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1719152986p1/24672869.jpg)
lol! I liked this book and then my husband read it and wasn't that impressed 😆
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Haha, ok not just us then! I was like, "Do you know me at all? Why would you recommend this to me?" haha 😅
![iamnihitha](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1644942581p1/20486910.jpg)
![nastya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1719152986p1/24672869.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Nihitha! Painful and long and confusing... I might've ended up with some permanent frown lines from this haha!
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
The upcoming movie is what finally got to me read it too. But now, I wonder if I should've watched the movie first to help with understanding, then read the book.
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Tina! Appreciate you saying that! It was especially a letdown because of how long it was! 😭
![Chantel](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1575247889p1/105925108.jpg)
![Melissa (Trying to Catch Up)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1559343382p1/721595.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Oops indeed haha! I appreciate you saying that, Renize! :)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Chantel! If you're curious, I suggest watching the movie first when it comes out. It isn't the sort of book that gets spoiled, and it'll help a lot with understanding (I assume). Then if you enjoy it, you can try the book. Looking back, I should've done that instead of reading it first.
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Maureen! It really wasn't haha! 😭
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Melissa! Great idea! I should've done the same haha. :)
![Kuromaru-Chan](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
Me: bam so do I. I wouldn't read a book if an author didn't put much effort into he/her book…
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Me: bam so do I. I wouldn't read a book if an author didn't put much effort into he/her book…"
I think the effort is there, but somehow there is a communication barrier between me and this author. Like we aren't on the same language wavelength. Obviously so many others read and understood and loved this book, but I had so much trouble with it. 😭
![Michael David (on hiatus)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1641258463p1/43787758.jpg)
![Minna](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624464307p1/76129312.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Michael! After such an epic and boring read, I hope a goodie is in my future! :)
![Tim](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1596404972p1/1369203.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Minna! Haha so true! Back in the 60s, perhaps this was the most imagination anyone could have... and it was unimaginable that women would be in power. 🤔
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Tim! You're not alone and I'm glad I'm not either! Definitely polarizing... this is one of my husband's favorite books, and as we're talking about it, it seems like we read two completely different books haha!
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718922980p1/5163729.jpg)
I have read this one three times - the third time on audiobook. Each time it got better for me. But I kind of felt like you the first time through at times to be honest. I thought the audiobook was awesome though.
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
..."
Thanks so much, David! Appreciate your kind comment! Obviously, I'm in the minority here since so many others understood and loved this book with no problem, you included. I'm glad this book is such a winner for you, and it's getting better with each subsequent read/listen! This is actually one of my husband's favorite books and I read it at his behest. As we're talking about it afterwards, it's like we read two completely books haha. So I get where you're coming from! :)
![David](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1718922980p1/5163729.jpg)
![Jen](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1613932077p1/7373580.jpg)
![Rosh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1700254211p1/91622714.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Awkward indeed! To my husband, I was like, "Do you know me at all? Why would you recommend this to me?" 🤣 I'm with you on The Midnight Library though!
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Jen! It's good to know what you enjoy and don't, and stick with it. I should've paid more attention before diving into this one lol! :)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Rosh! If you're interested at all, I'd recommend maybe seeing the movie first once it's out. I suspect that will help with setting up the story, and it should make it easier to understand if you decide to read it. :)
![Rosh](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1700254211p1/91622714.jpg)
That sounds good, Yun. I usually prefer the book first but this one does look like it will work only as a movie for me. 🙂
![Holly](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1374678939p1/7383561.jpg)
And with that, I will not be reading this. Thanks for the warning! Sounded a bit painful.
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Same here with preferring to read the book first, but that was definitely a mistake here lol! 😭
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
And with that, I will not be reading this. Thanks for the warning! Sounded a bit painful."
Thanks, Holly! It was painful and long and boring... lol. Obviously lots of others enjoyed this, but I can't recommend it based on my experience. :)
![Lisa of Troy](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1695303779p1/124132123.jpg)
![Yun](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1679228223p1/30181442.jpg)
Thanks, Lisa! I ended up having to look things up and bugging my husband every time I didn't understand something. I'm glad you thoroughly enjoyed this and the audiobook added a lot to the experience for you! I have heard that quite a few people really enjoyed the audiobook and found it easier to get into the story that way. Haha, fair enough on soaps... I just wanted more science for a sci-fi book! :)