Dune

Ever since it was announced that an adaptation of the science fiction novel masterpiece Dune was in the making by genius Denis Villeneuve, I have decided to read the novel. Usually science fiction is not my favourite genre, neither for books nor for films, but every now and then I make exceptions. This is certainly a book (and film, from what is know so far before its release) that is worthy of being read by every reader - so I have tackled its 800 pages, which accounts for at least the first volume of the Dune saga.

The novel Dune is set in a dystopian world invented by Herbert, which is unusual in its detail and to some extent reminiscent of the Star Wars world. Different people live on different planets on an epic scale, with tribes and feuds and history as complex and deep as in Shakespearean plays. At the center of the story is the royal Atreides family, with their young son Paul the future heir to the Ducal throne of his father, educated to become a leader by his parents and many tutors. When his father, Duke Leto, is ordered by the Emperor to take over the harsh desert planet Arrakis, Paul's fate changes quicker than anyone expected. The young hero finds himself learning to adapt and find his destiny, guided by his training but also by his own talents which he is still in the process of discovering.

While the plot is a page turner and the characters really well-written, one of the main features that makes this book timeless is the invention of a world that includes many parallels to our own, and can serve as a parable to our own real history and present issues. Not only crucial themes such as coming-of-age, family, love and betrayal are central in this novel as in many great pieces of literature, but also themes such as the environment and adapting to life in inhabitable areas are covered at length. It is no surprise that this tale works well on the cinema screen as well, and that the technological improvements have made an adaptation possible that previous directors who adapted Dune could only dream of. The interest of the public in related themes has grown, which allows this new Dune adaptation to be widely watched and discussed in a way that was not the case some decades ago. 

Both book and film are then at the center of the arts world and audiences worldwide, and rightly so. if you watch the film and enjoy it, I can only recommend reading the novel as well to immerse yourself further into the world of Frank Herbert. If you still want to read the novel before the film is released, you better get started...

(Release date: September/October 2021, depending on the country. Some images below.)

(Images: book by me, film: IMDB)