Paige's Pages

Frank Herbert

First off, I made the mistake of watching the movie before the book. In my defense, I didn’t know there was a book when the movie showed up in the ‘InFlight Entertainment’ section. Nonetheless, I have finally finished it.

After two months of struggling to read a few pages at a time, I finished the second half of this book in 2 days. I am typically drawn to books that grab me in the first few pages, as I believe that the first chapters are telling of how the rest of the book will shape up (that being said, once I start a book, I finish it regardless of how it is). Dune is an example of a book that requires dedication to arrive at the actual meat of the plot. The first half is admittedly difficult and dense, hence why it took me two months. However, the book cannot be appreciated in it’s entirety without the background and character development that Herbert outlines in the beginning.

This is a book that fully immerses you in the sci-fi planet of Arrakis. The characters are complex and Herbert does a fantastic job of illustrating the internal strife of decisions over power, family, enemy, and survival. The plot is layered, and nothing is written that doesn’t have a deeper meaning. Frank Herbert wrote 617 pages and wasted none of them.

Now, as vital to a story as the first pages are, the ending might just be more important. I base my book ratings based on the catchy intro, the substance of the text, and how satisfying I felt the ending to be. This ending? 5 stars. Herbert concludes Dune with another powerful decision made by Paul Atreides, Duke of Arrakis. Not only does this choice cement the entire climax of the book, it also allows room for the reader to interpret further once the book is over. Most questions are answered… but not all. Peace is settled on Arrakis… for now. This also provides a segue for book two, Dune Messiah.

The overall rating, 4/5 stars, comes from my difficulty in getting through the first half. I felt as though it lacked that initial can’t-put-it-down pizzazz. However, this was abated by the masterful plot, developed characters, and satisfying ending. Did I read the whole thing picturing Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya? Possibly… solely due to my own error. Never watch the movie first. The book is always better.