BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
-Print: COPYRIGHT ©: (1965) October 25, 2016; ISBN 978-0143111580; PUBLISHER: Penguin Classics; Reprint edition; PAGES: 720; UNABRIDGED (Hardback Info from Amazon)
-Digital: COPYRIGHT ©: August 26, 2003; PUBLISHER: Ace; Ace Special 25th Anniversary edition; PAGES: 892; UNABRIDGED (Digital Info from Amazon)
*Audio: COPYRIGHT ©: December 31, 2006; PUBLISHER: Macmillan Audio; DURATION: 21 hours, 2 minutes; Unabridged; (Audio Info from Amazon)
-FEATURE FILM OR TV: No.

SERIES: Dune Book 1

MAIN CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive)
(From Wikipedia)
House Atreides
Paul Atreides, the Duke's son, and main character of the novel
Duke Leto Atreides, head of House Atreides [Paul’s father] (Scott Brick)
Lady Jessica, Bene Gesserit and concubine of the Duke, mother of Paul and Alia
Alia Atreides, Paul's younger sister
Thufir Hawat, Mentat and Master of Assassins to House Atreides
Gurney Halleck, staunchly loyal troubadour warrior of the Atreides
Duncan Idaho, Swordmaster for House Atreides, graduate of the Ginaz School
Wellington Yueh, Suk doctor for the Atreides who is secretly working for House Harkonnen
House Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, head of House Harkonnen
Piter De Vries, twisted Mentat
Feyd-Rautha, nephew and heir-presumptive of the Baron
Glossu "Beast" Rabban, also called Rabban Harkonnen, older nephew of the Baron
Iakin Nefud, Captain of the Guard
House Corrino
Shaddam IV, Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe (the Imperium)
Princess Irulan, Shaddam's eldest daughter and heir, also a historian
Count Fenring, the Emperor's closest friend, advisor, and "errand boy"
Bene Gesserit
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Proctor Superior of the Bene Gesserit school and the Emperor's Truthsayer
Lady Margot Fenring, Bene Gesserit wife of Count Fenring
Fremen
The Fremen, native inhabitants of Arrakis
Stilgar, Fremen leader of Sietch Tabr (Scott Brick)
Chani, Paul's Fremen concubine and a Sayyadina (female acolyte) of Sietch Tabr
Dr. Liet-Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist on Arrakis and father of Chani, as well as a revered figure among the Fremen
The Shadout Mapes, head housekeeper of imperial residence on Arrakis
Jamis, Fremen killed by Paul in ritual duel
Harah, wife of Jamis and later servant to Paul who helps raise Alia among the Fremen
Reverend Mother Ramallo, religious leader of Sietch Tabr
Smugglers
Esmar Tuek, a powerful smuggler and the father of Staban Tuek
Staban Tuek, the son of Esmar Tuek and a powerful smuggler who befriends and takes in Gurney Halleck and his surviving men after the attack on the Atreides

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
-SELECTED. One of my physical therapists mentioned he’d loved the movie that recently came out, Dune 2, so when Don got the DVD of the first movie, I suggested we might listen to the book. He agreed and we waited until we’d listened to it before watching the (newer) Dune movie on DVD. We then watched the movie, and then went to the theater to see Dune 2.
I had read this book in the 70’s and liked it, but remembered just a little.
-ABOUT: About a young man, Paul, whose father has just been given rulership of a desert planet. The planet is known for its Spice, so there’s hope of prosperity. There are religious and political factors undergirding events that prove to endanger Paul and his family.
-OVERALL OPINION: An intricate story, it’s a little challenging to keep track of people, places, and affiliations, but it’s engrossing.

AUTHOR:
Frank Herbert
(From Amazon)
“Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time,[3] and the series is a classic of the science-fiction genre.[4] The Dune saga, set in the distant future and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics, sex, and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and colonized many thousands of worlds.
The series has been adapted numerous times, including the feature film Dune (1984), the miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and Children of Dune, and a motion picture trilogy currently in production, with Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) having been released.[5][6]

NARRATORS: (Hopefully, I found the correct people for these bios)
Scott Brick (Narrator)
(From Wikipedia)
“Scott Brick (born January 30, 1966, in Santa Barbara, California) is an American actor, writer and award-winning narrator of over 800 audiobooks, including popular titles such as Washington: A Life, Moneyball, and Cloud Atlas. He has narrated works for a number of high-profile authors, including Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Michael Crichton, and John Grisham.”

Orlagh Cassidy (Narrator)
(From IMDB)
“Orlagh is an American actress, both parents from Dublin, Ireland. She works in Theatre, Television and Film and has recorded numerous award winning audiobooks and commercials. She can be seen in 'St. Vincent' with Bill Murray as well many guest starring roles on 'Homeland', 'Billions', 'Good Wife', 'Elementary' and 'The Mysteries Of Laura'. She has worked in New York theatre at MTC, The Public Theatre, MCC, Origin Theatre Company and The Irish Rep where she received a Drama Desk nomination for the role of 'Mamie' in the 'The Field' in 2007. She is a recipient of The Princess Grace Foundation Award and has a BFA from SUNY Purchase.”

Euan Morton (Narrator)
(From Wikipedia)
“Euan Douglas George Morton (born Iain Middleton; 13 August 1977) is a Scottish actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical Taboo, receiving nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for his performance. He played the role of King George in the musical Hamilton on Broadway from July 2017 to 10 September 2023.”

Simon Vance (Narrator),
(From Wikipedia)
“Simon Vance (born December 16, 1955) is an audiobook narrator and actor who performs contemporary literary works as well as classics, children's books, and nonfiction. He has won 16 Audie Awards[1] since 2002. Specializing in single-voice narration, he was named the American Library Association's Booklist Magazine Voice of Choice[2] in 2008, and has earned AudioFile Magazine's Earphones Award for more than 60 performances since 1998.[3] He has also narrated audiobooks under the names of Richard Matthews and Robert Whitfield.[4] He lives in Los Angeles, California.[5]”

Ilyana Kadushin (Narrator)
(From ilyanakadushin.com)
“As an audiobook narrator, Ilyana engages her voice to tell stories from authors all around the world.
As a voice coach Ilyana motivates her clients to find their voice, so they can engage with the world and tell their stories.
As an executive director of Stories Love Music, Ilyana developed a program to teach caregivers how to use their voices and music to unearth the voice and stories of the senior citizens they are caring for.
As a producer and co-host of the NO, I KNOW podcast, Ilyana goes out into the world and shines a light on people and their stories of positive community engagement.
As a music artist and singer Ilyana, with producer/composer, James Harrell is creating music that elevates the stories being told through film and other media content.”

Byron Jennings (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Byron Jennings was born on September 21, 1950. He is an actor, known for Lincoln (2012), Julie & Julia (2009) and The Greatest Showman (2017). He is married to Carolyn McCormick. They have two children."

David R. Gordon (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"David R. Gordon is known for I Love Rak 'n' Roll: On the Road with 'Flashdance the Musical' Starring Rachelle Rak (2013), Batman: Dark Tomorrow (2003) and National Geographic Specials (1965)."

Jason Culp (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Jason Culp was born in Los Angeles, second son of actor/writer Robert Culp and his wife Nancy. Raised variously in the San Fernando Valley, Ojai, Malibu and Beverly Hills, he began acting at the age of 10 in a small role in the film "Hickey & Boggs", directed by his father. After a great deal of theater through his teen years, he trained at the American Conservatory Theater, in New York with Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen at the esteemed HB Studio, and back in Los Angeles in the 80s with John Lehne. He appeared in the soaps "General Hospital", "Days of our Lives", and appeared in the film "Skinheads". He moved to New York in the early 90s and resided there for 25 years, doing regional theater and focusing on voice over work, audiobooks and writing. He has now returned to Los Angeles to resume his acting career."

Kent Broadhurst (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Kent Broadhurst was born on February 4, 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Léon: The Professional (1994), Silver Bullet (1985) and The Verdict (1982)."

Oliver Wyman (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Oliver Wyman was born on July 20, 1966 in New York, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Warriors (2005), Tokyo Mew Mew (2002) and Lego Dimensions (2015)."

Patricia Kilgarriff (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Patricia Kilgarriff is known for Grand Theft Auto V (2013), Bully (2006) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)."

Scott Sowers (Narrator)
(From IMDb)
"Scott Sowers is known for Dune (2006)."

GENRE:
Science Fiction; Fantasy

TIME FRAME:
Future (Paul was born in the 57th year of the Padishah Emperor, Shaddam IV); 10,000’s

LOCATION:
Caladan & Dune / Arrakis

SUBJECTS (as related to the story):
Religion; Ecology; Economics; Spice; Philosophy; Desert life; Worms; House politics

DEDICATION:
“To the people whose labors go beyond ideas into the realm of “real materials” -to the dryland ecologists, wherever they may be, in whatever time they work, this effort at predication is dedicated in humility and admiration.”

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1
“The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam sat in a tapestried chair watching mother and son approach. Windows on each side of her overlooked the curving southern bend of the river and the green farmlands of the Atreides family holding, but the Reverend Mother ignored the view. She was feeling her age this morning, more than a little petulant. She blamed it on space travel and association with that abominable Spacing Guild and its secretive ways. But here was a mission that required personal attention from a Bene Gesserit-with-the-Sight. Even the Padishah Emperor’s Truthsayer couldn’t evade that responsibility when the duty call came.
Damn that Jessica! the Reverend Mother thought. If only she’d borne us a girl as she was ordered to do!
Jessica stopped three paces from the chair, dropped a small curtsy, a gentle flick of left hand along the line of her skirt. Paul gave the short bow his dancing master had taught—the one used “when in doubt of another’s station.”
The nuances of Paul’s greeting were not lost on the Reverend Mother. She said: “He’s a cautious one, Jessica.”
Jessica’s hand went to Paul’s shoulder, tightened there. For a heartbeat, fear pulsed through her palm. Then she had herself under control. “Thus he has been taught, Your Reverence.”
What does she fear? Paul wondered.
The old woman studied Paul in one gestalten flicker: face oval like Jessica’s, but strong bones…hair: the Duke’s black-black but with browline of the maternal grandfather who cannot be named, and that thin, disdainful nose; shape of directly staring green eyes: like the old Duke, the paternal grandfather who is dead.
Now, there was a man who appreciated the power of bravura—even in death, the Reverend Mother thought.
“Teaching is one thing,” she said, “the basic ingredient is another. We shall see” The old eyes darted a hard glance at Jessica. “Leave us. I enjoin you to practice the meditation of peace.”
Jessica took her hand from Paul’s shoulder. “Your Reverence, I—”
“Jessica, you know it must be done.”
Paul looked up at his mother, puzzled. Jessica straightened. “Yes…of course.”
Paul looked back at the Reverend Mother. Politeness and his mother’s obvious awe of this old woman argued caution. Yet he felt an angry apprehension at the fear he sensed radiating from his mother.
“Paul…” Jessica took a deep breath. “…this test you’re about to receive…it’s important to me.”
“Test?” He looked up at her.
“Remember that you’re a duke’s son,” Jessica said. She whirled and strode from the room in a dry swishing of skirt. The door closed solidly behind her.
Paul faced the old woman, holding anger in check. “Does one dismiss the Lady Jessica as though she were a serving wench?”
A smile flicked the corners of the wrinkled old mouth. “The Lady Jessica was my serving wench, lad, for fourteen years at school.” She nodded. “And a good one, too. Now, you come here!”
The command whipped out at him. Paul found himself obeying before he could think about it. Using the Voice on me, he thought. He stopped at her gesture, standing beside her knees.
“See this?” she asked. From the folds of her gown, she lifted a green metal cube about fifteen centimeters on a side. She turned it and Paul saw that one side was open—black and oddly frightening. No light penetrated that open blackness. “
Put your right hand in the box,” she said.
Fear shot through Paul. He started to back away, but the old woman said: “Is this how you obey your mother?”
He looked up into bird-bright eyes.
Slowly, feeling the compulsions and unable to inhibit them, Paul put his hand into the box. He felt first a sense of cold as the blackness closed around his hand, then slick metal against his fingers and a prickling as though his hand were asleep.
A predatory look filled the old woman’s features. She lifted her right hand away from the box and poised the hand close to the side of Paul’s neck. He saw a glint of metal there and started to turn toward it.
“Stop!” she snapped.
Using the Voice again! He swung his attention back to her face.
“I hold at your neck the gom jabbar,” she said. “The gom jabbar, the high-handed enemy. It’s a needle with a drop of poison on its tip. Ah-ah! Don’t pull away or you’ll feel that poison.”
Paul tried to swallow in a dry throat. He could not take his attention from the seamed old face, the glistening eyes, the pale gums around silvery metal teeth that flashed as she spoke.
“A duke’s son must know about poisons,” she said. “It’s the way of our times, eh? Musky, to be poisoned in your drink. Aumas, to be poisoned in your food The quick ones and the slow ones and the ones in between. Here’s a new one for you: the gom jabbar. It kills only animals.”
Pride overcame Paul’s fear. “You dare suggest a duke’s son is an animal?” he demanded.
“Let us say I suggest you may be human,” she said. “Steady! I warn you not to try jerking away. I am old, but my hand can drive this needle into your neck before you escape me.”
“Who are you?” he whispered. “How did you trick my mother into leaving me alone with you? Are you from the Harkonnens?”
“The Harkonnens? Bless us, no! Now, be silent.” A dry finger touched his neck and he stilled the involuntary urge to leap away.
“Good,” she said. “You pass the first test. Now, here’s the way of the rest of it: If you withdraw your hand from the box you die. This is the only rule. Keep your hand in the box and live. Withdraw it and die.”
Paul took a deep breath to still his trembling. “If I call out there’ll be servants on you in seconds and you’ll die.”
“Servants will not pass your mother who stands guard outside that door. Depend on it. Your mother survived this test. Now it’s your turn. Be honored. We seldom administer this to men-children.”
Curiosity reduced Paul’s fear to a manageable level. He heard truth in the old woman’s voice, no denying it. If his mother stood guard out there…if this were truly a test…. And whatever it was, he knew himself caught in it, trapped by that hand at his neck: the gom jabbar. He recalled the response from the Litany Against Fear as his mother had taught him out of the Bene Gesserit rite.
“I must not fear Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
He felt calmness return, said: “Get on with it, old woman.”
“Old woman!” she snapped. “You’ve courage, and that can’t be denied. Well, we shall see, sirra.” She bent close, lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “You will feel pain in this hand within the box. Pain. But! Withdraw the hand and I’ll touch your neck with my gom jabbar—the death so swift it’s like the fall of the headsman’s axe. Withdraw your hand and the gom jabbar takes you. Understand?”
“What’s in the box?”
“Pain.”
He felt increased tingling in his hand, pressed his lips tightly together. How could this be a test? he wondered. The tingling became an itch.
The old woman said: “You’ve heard of animals chewing off a leg to escape a trap? There’s an animal kind of trick. A human would remain in the trap, endure the pain, feigning death that he might kill the trapper and remove a threat to his kind.”
The itch became the faintest burning. “Why are you doing this?” he demanded.
“To determine if you’re human. Be silent.”
Paul clenched his left hand into a fist as the burning sensation increased in the other hand. It mounted slowly: heat upon heat upon heat…upon heat. He felt the fingernails of his free hand biting the palm. He tried to flex the fingers of the burning hand, but couldn’t move them.
“It burns,” he whispered.
“Silence!”
Pain throbbed up his arm. Sweat stood out on his forehead. Every fiber cried out to withdraw the hand from that burning pit…but…the gom jabbar. Without turning his head, he tried to move his eyes to see that terrible needle poised beside his neck. He sensed that he was breathing in gasps, tried to slow his breaths and couldn’t.
Pain!
His world emptied of everything except that hand immersed in agony, the ancient face inches away staring at him.
His lips were so dry he had difficulty separating them.
The burning! The burning!
He thought he could feel skin curling black on that agonized hand, the flesh crisping and dropping away until only charred bones remained.
It stopped!"

RATING:.
4

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
4-2-2024 to 4-12-2024 ( )

The thing is, I’d really like to like this book, particularly because it’s developed the legend of being a sci-fi classic. I found it in places very hard work. I also think that it is much more a product of its time than one would think. This isn’t a timeless classic like the Lord of the rings or for that matter, William Gibson Neuromancer or something similar. It does have that feeling of creation in the 1960s. I found the plot at times meandering and certainly the world building whilst impressive was difficult to access and so there or made reading it at times a little bit more of a chore than one would like. I understand that this is the start of a series by Frank Herbert , I’m not convinced I’ll be following up anymore. ( )

I'm not going to rate this, because I didn't finish it, obviously. This is just one of those books that isn't my cup of tea because the pacing is completely bogged down in the first book by political intrigue, made-up fantasy jargon and too many characters to keep track of. I don't find that particularly entertaining, and there are definitely parts where it comes off as preachy and intentionally obscure. Maybe, Frank Herbert would have been a good poet. If you didn't get the memo this book is a pretty clear allegory for colonialism in the Middle East and the spice is oil, like it doesn't take a genius. I've heard that if you have seen Lawrence of Arabia, Dune is just Science Fiction Lawrence of Arabia. I read this because the movie is coming out like, tomorrow, and hopefully that is better. I started it, dnf-ed it and then picked it up again and dnf-ed it again. I tend to have a problem with overly didactic science fiction that is meant to teach you something and writing that doesn't get to the point.

I first encountered Dune in a college English class and had very little time to read and interact with it before we moved on to the next book on our list. I thought since I watched the new movie and enjoyed it that I might give the book its due diligence, but I don't think it's for me. I can certainly see why it's a classic, but it's certainly meant for a niche audience! ( )

“But wisdom tempers love, doesn’t it?”

SciFi isn't usually my go to thing... but on a whim I watched Dune and then it was driving me crazy I had no idea what was going on. So I bought the book. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot happening. We have religion, politics, betrayal, destiny, power plays, a dystopian-ish planet and a little romance. I really got immersed in the story which was amazing. I have to admit that I didn't anticipate liking it as much as I did. It took me a bit to adjust to all the language typical of SciFi stories and some things definitely went over my head in this book and I don't really understand. However, I think despite that it was a fantastic story. Paul's journey is really intriguing and watching him step into his destiny was a wild ride.

I think the vast array of characters was sometimes hard to follow and that was one of the reasons I gave this four stars instead of five. I had to make a chart of all the characters just to make sure I didn't get confused. I also really felt sometimes the big plot points with Paul got a bit confusing, and maybe that's just because I'm not a huge SciFi reader. The book shifted perspectives to give us all the different elements of the story and I really enjoyed this part, because it was often a nice breather from the Paul journey. I wasn't a fan of the start of the book because it felt like it was dragging a bit but it really made up for it after the first little bit and so much happened. I have to say with all that took place in the first book I don't even know what is left to happen but I am looking forward to finding out! ( )