Review: Dune

Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

None other than Arthur C. Clarke says only The Lord of the Rings surpasses this and I have had other firsthand accounts of its superlative quality. Also people tell me “It's oh so better than the movie.” For all these reasons, I decided to take the plunge and see what I would think. well, I am not so impressed. I'm sure it is very innovative and pioneering for the fantasy genre, but I think the mock desert exoticism and imagined royalty isn't particularly visionary. I appreciate very much the glossary and other appendices; read them first. There is so much explicit narrative of internal monologues here -- which feels like a crutch -- that I can see how that would not transfer to the screen. much of this I did like, but not enough to think I will read Herbert again. The path of Paul (boring name) recalls to me the classic magic-messianic arc explored by Butler in The Myth of the Magus.

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