The book is about power and the limitations of power. An over riding theme in all of the books is that you have these incredible powerful people but they are for the most part helpless victims of circumstance and their own arrogance. Look at Paul and Leto II. Both were unimaginable powerful men who were trapped by their power.
Movements and ideas on the other hand are incredible powerful in Herbert’s books but they are destructive and uncontrollable. It is true that conflict between the groups is not well developed but that isn’t because the main conflict is with the planet it is because the main conflicts are internal conflicts and conflicts inside the Atreides household.
Finally a book isn’t flawed because it reflects the attitudes and beliefs of the times or the person who wrote it instead it is what makes them worth reading. You don’t have to agree with those ideas but seeing them isn’t a flaw.
Movements and ideas on the other hand are incredible powerful in Herbert’s books but they are destructive and uncontrollable. It is true that conflict between the groups is not well developed but that isn’t because the main conflict is with the planet it is because the main conflicts are internal conflicts and conflicts inside the Atreides household.
Finally a book isn’t flawed because it reflects the attitudes and beliefs of the times or the person who wrote it instead it is what makes them worth reading. You don’t have to agree with those ideas but seeing them isn’t a flaw.
Although perhaps "flaw" was a strong word to use (I was thinking in terms of a flaw/impediment to my full enjoyment), I would argue that Herbert had several points going at once. The power issues I will address more in the next two volumes, as I seem to recall them coming to a head there even more than it does in the first novel. I would also posit that environment (in the all-encompassing sense of the word) shapes the attitudes toward politics and religion that do dominate this novel and the following two. I'm not going to be covering every possibility exhaustively in these breezy reviews/commentaries. I am going to be raising points of consideration that are taken from the novels as I read them, in hopes that constructive comments such as yours can add to the discussion of the novel
![:D](/site_media/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
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Frank Herbert, Dune Chronicles (series reviews within)
16/04/2010 04:11:40 AM
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Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
16/04/2010 06:09:49 PM
- 959 Views
Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
17/04/2010 12:08:06 AM
- 1119 Views
Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
17/04/2010 02:33:38 PM
- 1052 Views
Not all themes are intended by the author. That doesn't mean they aren't there.
17/04/2010 06:54:14 PM
- 1087 Views
Re: Not all themes are intended by the author. That doesn't mean they aren't there.
17/04/2010 10:44:18 PM
- 931 Views
I was using a fairly precise term when I said "ecological"
18/04/2010 12:13:14 AM
- 1055 Views
Re: I was using a fairly precise term when I said "ecological"
18/04/2010 03:34:33 AM
- 1085 Views
Please read linked interview...as I call bullshit. Also, why are your walls white?
18/04/2010 05:18:07 AM
- 924 Views
Re: Please read linked interview...as I call bullshit. Also, why are your walls white?
19/04/2010 06:15:26 PM
- 922 Views
That was most of my issue.
21/04/2010 12:12:56 AM
- 809 Views
Just because something plays a dominate role doesn't make it a theme
21/04/2010 02:09:42 PM
- 893 Views
Thank you for saying concisely the point I have been trying to make. *NM*
21/04/2010 06:34:12 PM
- 383 Views
A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
21/04/2010 11:21:38 PM
- 865 Views
Re: A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
22/04/2010 04:58:01 AM
- 812 Views
Re: A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
22/04/2010 04:08:28 PM
- 764 Views
Texts have different interpretations and Readers emphasize different aspects
22/04/2010 09:28:05 PM
- 851 Views
Re: Texts have different interpretations and Readers emphasize different aspects
23/04/2010 05:22:22 PM
- 794 Views
Re: Just because something plays a dominate role doesn't make it a theme
29/04/2010 11:36:45 PM
- 878 Views
Not really sure how Larry's definition is archaic.
19/04/2010 07:52:27 PM
- 930 Views
Re: Not really sure how Larry's definition is archaic.
20/04/2010 07:04:40 PM
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Your patronizing manner aside, that's not "archaic" at all.
21/04/2010 01:46:50 AM
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Re: Your patronizing manner aside, that's not "archaic" at all.
21/04/2010 06:23:24 PM
- 915 Views
People who see this as an ecological book are missing the point of the book
16/04/2010 06:28:40 PM
- 1286 Views
Books can have more than one theme. Great books almost always do. *NM*
16/04/2010 07:15:11 PM
- 413 Views
I agree with that I just never really the ecological theme to Dune
16/04/2010 10:12:26 PM
- 997 Views
There are several points to the book/series
17/04/2010 12:11:38 AM
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Everyone get something different from a book
19/04/2010 07:01:51 PM
- 1199 Views
I believe those themes become more pronounced later in the series
20/04/2010 10:09:36 PM
- 954 Views
I remember having hated every single character of this book. Some random thoughts
17/04/2010 05:08:25 PM
- 1155 Views
Well, I enjoyed more of the characters this time around, if that helps
18/04/2010 12:14:43 AM
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Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
17/04/2010 08:05:16 PM
- 1392 Views
I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
17/04/2010 10:22:27 PM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
18/04/2010 04:38:10 AM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
19/04/2010 04:04:43 AM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
22/04/2010 04:31:26 AM
- 828 Views
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I thought all of Dune had begun as a serial in a SF magazine. *NM*
22/04/2010 01:58:22 PM
- 357 Views
Dune Messiah (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
19/04/2010 08:42:18 AM
- 1059 Views
Re: Dune Messiah (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
21/04/2010 03:33:46 PM
- 804 Views
I didn't see that in Alia
21/04/2010 11:27:22 PM
- 710 Views
There were a few scenes displaying Alia's abilities/mindset. (spoilers)
22/04/2010 03:54:32 PM
- 728 Views
OK, that makes a bit more sense, as I wasn't for sure what you were arguing at first
22/04/2010 09:14:46 PM
- 832 Views
One of my favorite series!
21/04/2010 03:30:57 PM
- 730 Views
I didn't "miss it" as much as I chose to deemphasize it
21/04/2010 11:29:50 PM
- 654 Views
Re: I didn't "miss it" as much as I chose to deemphasize it
22/04/2010 04:02:26 PM
- 761 Views
Heretics of Dune (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
28/04/2010 06:02:54 AM
- 707 Views
Re: Heretics of Dune (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
29/04/2010 03:26:28 PM
- 769 Views