So much stuff has happened now and my brain is really confused. But the ending is somehow near, and yet I can't seem to grasp how it looks like.
User Profile
I like reading Sci-fi, Mystery and stuff like that, still have to sink my teeth into the Fantasy genre but I would probably like it too. I also like Manga, but I use Anilist for that, until support for it improves here...
You can find me on mastodon at fosstodon.org/@joel
This link opens in a pop-up window
joelchrono's books
2024 Reading Goal
58% complete! joelchrono has read 7 of 12 books.
User Activity
RSS feed Back
joelchrono commented on The Palace of Eternity by Bob Shaw
joelchrono commented on The Palace of Eternity by Bob Shaw
joelchrono started reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
We doing some Agatha Christie at last @amin@alpha.polymaths.social
Benjamin Hollon started reading The mote in God's eye by Larry Niven
Noticed this title in @joel@fosstodon.org's recent review of Dune and realized I was sitting a 30-second walk from it in the library, so I checked it out.
joelchrono commented on The Palace of Eternity by Bob Shaw
Well, this is my #review of #Dune, and it is complete, because it ended here.
Random thoughts, my journey of reading and more filler because it's my #blog after all. Mild #spoilers ahead, behind a clear warning and you can skip them!
This is day 27 of #100DaysToOffload
joelchrono reviewed Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune is Dune
4 stars
Since I watched the movies first, I was happy to have one of my main fears dissapear completely during the first couple chapters. Many of the plot twists present on both movies are actually things the reader just knows from the start. The betrayal and the plot against House Atreides, the people behind it and the reason for it can be inferred quickly enough.
Herbert’s confidence in the world he wrote can end up being too much to a lot of people. From the beginning of the novel, characters throw around a lot of made up terms that can be confusing, and in a setting where Dukes, Counts and Emperors, Great Houses and Cults are still a thing, alongside intergalactic travel and human calculators, the politics and relationships of it all are quite complex.
The book doesn’t hold your hand at all. There are references and intriguing events from long …
Since I watched the movies first, I was happy to have one of my main fears dissapear completely during the first couple chapters. Many of the plot twists present on both movies are actually things the reader just knows from the start. The betrayal and the plot against House Atreides, the people behind it and the reason for it can be inferred quickly enough.
Herbert’s confidence in the world he wrote can end up being too much to a lot of people. From the beginning of the novel, characters throw around a lot of made up terms that can be confusing, and in a setting where Dukes, Counts and Emperors, Great Houses and Cults are still a thing, alongside intergalactic travel and human calculators, the politics and relationships of it all are quite complex.
The book doesn’t hold your hand at all. There are references and intriguing events from long ago that came and went and help give you an idea of the state of affairs, such as the interesting computers, for example, but a lot is left for the reader to figure out and fill the gaps as they keep reading. I think the movies helped me get through this much quicker too.
The story begins after House Atreides is put in charge of Arrakis, a planet with the most valuable substance in the galaxy, the spice melange. A drug that is essential for space travel, can improve the user’s life-span, awareness and many other things.
The planet is a huge desert, making for a harsh environment nobody would bother to live on, where water is scarce and as valued as spice. Despite this, it is inhabited by the Fremen, people who have managed to tame the desert, and resist the heavy rule of the Harkonnens, who up until then had been the House harvesting the planet’s resources for the Empire.
Our protagonist, Paul Atreides is the son of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica; and he'll finds himself entangled in the middle of prophecies, visions and politics in a path that would lead him to do what he thinks is right, but at what cost?
The novel deals with many different topics, such as the fight over natural resources, the dangers of organized religion, capitalism and freedom and things.
Some people might not like the politics at the start, others will not enjoy the spirituality later on, and a few will find everything weird and confusing and with cringy prose. I kind of loved it, I can see why this novel is among the greats, and how it has served as the inspiration of tons of different works over the decades, and it will keep on giving for years to come.
Every character has their motivations, their perspectives and interactions. There is conflict even between allies, family and friends, and it is simply so intriguing and it all feels like a big disaster and a terrible tragedy, but that is still the best possible outcome of it all.
It was a cool read, I am considering reading the next books by Frank, but we’ll see, I kind of want to read a ton of different authors, which I’ve been doing since the year begun, so maybe next year will be the year of reading full book series for a change.
Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what’s incomplete and saying: “Now, it’s complete because it’s ended here.” — from “Collected Sayings of Maud’Dib’’ by the Princess Irulan
joelchrono finished reading Dune by Frank Herbert
joelchrono commented on Dune by Frank Herbert
joelchrono replied to Rogue's status
@roguefoam Just for the sake of exposure, you might want to re-add this as an edition of regular Dune instead of a whole new book
Here's the regular book bookrastinating.com/book/15927/
Here is what I read, watched, listened and did during the month of March!
This is day 25 of #100DaysToOffload
Another book #review because why not. The Undefeated by Una McCormak.
This is day 24 of #100DaysToOffload
joelchrono commented on Dune by Frank Herbert
joelchrono replied to Larry's status
@LarryS@bookwyrm.social a great read, I hope you enjoy it!