About the Book

Book Protagonist: Paul Atreides, Alia Atreides, Jessica
Publication Date: 1965
Genre: Action and Adventure, Science Fiction
Rating:
4.6/5

Review

Dune

By Frank Herbert

'Dune' is a story with refined literature, excellent characters, and a detailed description of events that makes it incredibly realistic.

With the success of ‘Dune,’ Frank Herbert created five sequels for the novel. After his death, his son, Brian Herbert, wrote more of ‘Dune’s’ story by filling the empty spaces left behind in the story of ‘Dune.’ The novel became a franchise so massive that it was called the Duniverse.

Dune Review


Story

Dune is a book with a great story and an excellent plot. Due to intricate detailing and fluid transitions between dialogues and scenes, ‘Dune’ can retain a grasp on its reader. The story of Paul Atreides was an excellent story that Frank Herbert carved up beautifully. Though Paul was the main character, Frank Herbert tried to retain a wide scope of view and make the reader see a bigger perspective in the novel extending beyond Paul; this made him create an intricate detailing of the characteristics of planets and their organisms.

The interaction of characters with each other is also something that Frank gave his attention to. Frank’s keen sense of detail made him explain scenes with precise measurements, and though this made the book intensely realistic, it also diluted the purpose of some scenes by making the reader focus more on the detail and less on the plot.

Characters

‘Dune’ is a book with many characters. From the Emperor to the Baron and Paul Atreides, the novel holds many characters. ‘Dune’s’ number of characters feels natural because of how vast the story setting is, and to make sure the story grasped the attention of the reader, Frank made many characters on each planet to support both the antagonist and protagonist.

‘Dune’s’ characters were strikingly similar to Arabic and Hebrew culture as most words used by Frank were derivative of both languages. Also, Frank mixed an array of different religions to form the basis of belief for his characters, and things like Jihad of Islamic origin get mentioned in the novel.

Dialogue

The dialogues of ‘Dune’ feel natural even though the literary elements used are unique. Frank Herbert’s craftiness of words made dialogues in ‘Dune’ fluid and captivating. Imbibing ideologies on politics and religion which are two of the main themes, a reader may notice the passion in every word spoken by a character; this remarkable feat achieved by Frank makes a character feel alive.

Writing Style and Conclusion

Though the literature of ‘Dune’ is fundamentally different from traditional books, Frank Herbert used the third-person perspective for writing; this made him create the story in a way that immerses the reader and makes them feel like an omniscient being watching as the entire story unfolds. As for the conclusion, though ‘Dune’ was not Frank’s last book on Paul Atreides’s life, it had a satisfying ending that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

With its fantastic story, great characters, fluid dialogues, and captivating description of events, ‘Dune’ is a novel worth reading.

FAQs

Was Dune rated a great book?

Yes, ‘Dune’ has a positive rating of 9.7 out of 10 from the Fantasy book review.

Is Dune by Frank Herbert worth reading?

Yes, ‘Dune’ is a novel worth reading as it talks of consequences and how politics affects ecology.

Is Dune the best sci-fi book?

Winning the Hugo award in 1966, ‘Dune’ has become an iconic novel in the world of science fiction. It is the most successful sci-fi book to this day and its influence on science fiction is almost unmatched.

Dune Review: Power, Politics, Religion, and Spice
  • Story
  • Characters
  • Setting
  • Writing Style
  • Dialogue
  • Conclusion
  • Lasting Effect on Reader
4.6

Dune Review

‘Dune’ is a novel that tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose father gets killed over control of planet Arrakis, the only source of Melange or Spice, a drug-like substance crucial to humanity’s continuation. After the death of his father, Paul and his mother escape into the desert, where Paul’s destiny begins.

Pros

  • Incredibly adventurous story
  • Great dialogues
  • Excellent characters

Exquisite vocabulary

Fantastic ending

Cons

  • Use of too much detail
Joshua Ehiosun
About Joshua Ehiosun
Joshua is an undying lover of literary works. With a keen sense of humor and passion for coining vague ideas into state-of-the-art worded content, he ensures he puts everything he's got into making his work stand out. With his expertise in writing, Joshua works to scrutinize pieces of literature.
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