After the releases of the movies “Dune” in 2021 and “Dune: Part Two” in 2024, with a star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Pugh, many viewers flocked to the nearest bookstore to pick up a copy of the book the movies are based on: “Dune” by Frank Herbert.
Along with the movies, the book became a sensation on social media. Despite the cult following the book has had since its release in 1965, it garnered a reputation for being too complicated, slow and filled with in-universe terminology that made it hard to understand.
The reputation the book has built up on social media shouldn’t deter you from reading it.
“Dune” is set in an intergalactic future where humans belong to noble houses that have colonized planets. Paul Atreides, the book’s protagonist, and his family have been appointed to govern the desert planet Arrakis. Arrakis is the only source of “spice,” an expensive drug that can extend life and is necessary for space navigation.
Despite the unpleasant environment, control of the planet is coveted. The House Atreides quickly finds itself embroiled in a dangerous conflict over the planet, as the House Harkonnen conspires to destroy the Atreides and seize control of Arrakis.
The plot thickens with the introduction of the Fremen,natives of Arrakis known for their fighting abilities and opposition to colonizers, and the Bene Gesserit. The Bene Gesserit are an exclusive group of powerful women who are waiting for the Kwisatz Haderach, an individual who has abilities that surpass the Bene Gesserit.
“It is a pretty complicated book,” Jobim Scott, a UO Student, said. “There’s a lot of things that go on, but I think just slowing down and reading things carefully would help people a lot more.”
To simplify it, it’s a worldbuilding-heavy book about space politics with a lot of intersecting issues.
I would argue the worldbuilding is not that different from other fantasy books that have gone viral on social media — it’s complex, but it’s well done and makes “Dune” an even more compelling read.
A focal point is the third-person omniscient perspective, which essentially equates toknowing everything about everyone. The story is big enough that it’s necessary to know what each character is thinking, but it doesn’t take away from the betrayals and plot twists. If anything, I found them to be more exciting, and I was still surprised at moments in the book.
“One of my favorite things in books is hallucinatory drug effects,” Scott said. “I find it really interesting to see how people write about characters who may not be experiencing reality the same way that we do.”
The politics of the book were also a highlight. It was messy, nuanced and gripping; even though I knew some characters were lying about their intentions and saw treachery miles before Paul did, it was still just as jarring when it came to fruition.
The use of in-universe terminology could be worrying to some, but I found it easy to pick up quickly, as the book reuses the words many times to familiarize the reader. If the jargon is a big concern, there is a terminology guide at the back of the book that tells you everything you need to know.
Despite the complicated vocabulary in the book, there are a few reassuring names on the page; among names like the Sardaukar and Gaius Helen Mohiam, Herbert threw readers a bone in the form of Paul and the swordmaster for House Atreides, Duncan Idaho.
If you’re still not convinced, the books add a lot of helpful context to the movies; a book has a lot more room for world-building and establishing relationships than a movie does, and it shows with this series.
There’s a reason why this book is so popular and spawned such well done movies –– with said movies winning eight Academy Awards between the two of them. “Dune” reads like other popular fantasy books, and it leaves you wondering how Herbert juggles everything to put together such a fascinating and intricate narrative.
Whether you’ve watched the “Dune” movies and are hungry for more, or you have yet to see the movies, “Dune” by Frank Herbert is a great follow up or precursor ––even if you’re just reading it for Timothée Chalamet.
