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| "There would be tricks within tricks within tricks." |
My friend recommended this book to me several times and I am very glad that I decided to take the suggestion. This book was a non-stop rollercoaster of intrigue, action, and suspense. From the very first chapter, the reader is thrown into a mysterious world where pieces to a massive puzzle are introduced through context while eluding simultaneously to a known future and an unknown present. The author introduces such puzzle pieces in a myriad of forms such as excerpts from unknown tomes that refer to unknown events, words that can only be contextualized to determine, and the names of people, cultures, and religions that will only make sense once the reader has delved deeper.
It is impossible to overstate the intricacy that exists in the text of Dune and it is difficult to explain the story without giving away what makes it so entertaining. Above and below the surface layer of the story there are layers of macro and micro examination and the interplay between layers as well. Everything in the universe of Dune is connected through thousands of years of interconnected human endeavors. Just like in real life the humans of Dune are in a constant race to manipulate the environments they occupy including both the ecology of planets and social dynamics of competing sects. Frank Herbert navigates these intricacies with a rigorous methodology that at no point takes away from the fun that the reader experiences in discovering the world through its players.
We learn about Dune from its newest royal inhabitants and overlords led by Duke Leto Atreides. He is joined by his precocious teenage son Paul and his enchanting concubine Jessica. While these names may appear mundane I assure you Paul and Jessica are not to be trifled with. Paul's quick reflexes and Jessica's intelligence and cunning prove to be powerful assets. With political turmoil all around them and betrayal lurking around the next corner, Duke Leto is charged by his Emporer to take over the planet Dune and extract all the spice he can and the spice is nice. Mmmm spice!
Dune is an exercise in keen observation. As the book continues the reader sees into the mind of the highly trained Mentat assassins, seductively selective sorceresses and more. You notice every vocal tonal change indicating to you that someone is afraid or hiding something or straight-up lying. Words become codes and a couple of hand gestures can communicate an entire conversation. These are just some of the mysteries that exist in the cut-throat world of Dune.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an epic adventure that explores both the internal world of the characters' thoughts as well as an in-depth external sci-fi world with a healthy dose of fantasy to round out the excitement. The only negative thing I could come up with is that while the vast majority of the story is unpredictable the ending was mostly expected, which doesn't take away from the enjoyment in the least. If anything it allows for a satisfying resolution that entices the reader to continue the saga with the next book which could be Dune Messiah although there are so many Dune stories one can get wrapped up the world forever. I will certainly be reading more of these novels and I hope that any movies or shows based on the Dune world do the story justice.
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