I started Dune after watching the films. I'm so glad I did. As an avid fantasy reader, I wasn't turned off by the length and world building- I live for that shit. I can't wait to read more. It's not a feel good story. It's extremely heavy, but not in a graphic violence way(not Dune, anyway). I particularly love the way Herbert has written religion and the way lore spreads through people groups and shapes their futures. It's chilling, to say the least. It's not perfect- I don't love the way Herbert writes the Baron (feels fatphobic and homophobic, ugh) and I struggled with the way he sidelined Chani. But it's worth a read especially if you're into sci-fi/fantasy purely for how his work shaped future sci Fi in particular.