Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Dune

A sci-fi classic. I've blown this off for years thinking I knew enough by how elements have trickled down into pop culture. However after watching the two new movies, I decided to give the book a chance. I see now why it is a classic that so many other sci-fi franchises draw from. It largely holds up. Of course as a book from the 60s, there are elements that are a little cringe to a modern reader and there are elements and small plot lines that could have been cut for the sake of brevity, but over all I was impressed with the book. I think it helped that the audiobook had a full cast to help me keep track of who was who. I suspect some of the minor characters may have blended together otherwise.

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yzvt's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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sea_tea_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense

3.0

The worldbuilding was decent, I can say that much. Otherwise, I felt this was far longer than necessary with too many characters to keep track of. I also found it strange that the author did not explain any backstory for the reader; rather, the story appears to start in the middle.

I would have preferred more information about the technology and engineering of these future civilizations. How did Earthlings go from landing on the moon to

intergalactic eugenics and war

? Where was the science in this science fiction?

A lot of heavy themes in this book club pick:

religion, addiction, cults, war, politics, misogyny, eugenics, sexual harassment

.

Relevant quote:

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong - faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's too late.”

Frank Herbert, Dune (Dune, #1), 1965

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Well, if that isn't the spiciest book I've ever read.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

All jokes aside, I wasn't expecting to cry while reading this book but dang, it got me in my feels. I was familiar enough with the plot due to seeing so many versions of it, including the most recent adaption, and while the adaptions are quite faithful, there was nuance that was omitted and I appreciated the journey of reading this to find those little bits.

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viktoriann's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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spooky_snoopy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A great reflection on the the endurance of the human spirit. There isn't a "good" hero, it feels like you're reading Paul losing himself and resign himself to his fate. I really liked how the chapters were laid out and how the storylines played off each other.

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