Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2) by Frank Herbert
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Book Reviews of Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2)
Book Review: The book that makes or breaks the series for you
Summary: 5 Stars
You can read Dune as both a philosophical novel about the natures of Messianic dreams and as an adventure story with a large dose of Machiavellian machination thrown in for good measure. When I was in high school, I read Dune as an adventure. Later on, I appreciated it for wrestling with these questions of social change, messianic beliefs and religious tyranny as an antidote for corruption.
With Dune Messiah, you have no such luxury. The adventure narrative is gone from this book (as it disappears from most of the books in the series - especially God Emperor that consists of 400 pages of a big worm talking and 4 pages of action.) and the conspiracies have some good points, but the conspirators are going up against Paul Atreides who KNOWS what's happening before it happens.
What you have instead is a narrative of doubt. Paul Atreides is the Kwitzach Haderech, the messiah, the Maudi. So now what? Instead of the "dancing in the rain storm to Toto" scene from the Lynch movie, we have a world at odds with itself. The old imperial armies are beaten. The Fremen have obtained the resources and the power to export their religious fanaticism to the rest of the world. Water has become less scarce on Dune and many of the water sellers must change. Paul must deal with plots from within and without and mostly he's got to wrestle with the knowledge that his crusade has exacted a terrible price. At the heart of the book is a conversation in which Paul Atreides compares himself to Hitler and Genghis Khan and calls them amateurs in comparison to him. The doubts that he wrestled with in the first book come out and while he knows that he followed the path laid out for him and knows the alternatives, he cannot shut his eyes to the horrors of his path.
This is a much deeper and more philosophical book than science fiction normally handles. The characters are well drawn and the questions it raises rival Dostoyevsky for resonance. If you want the Dune adventure, read the prequels (which I do like), but if you want the essence of the Dune series, read this book.
Book Review: Not exactly what every Science Fiction fan is looking for...
Summary: 5 Stars
The introduction I had to 'Dune Messiah' was from a friend of mine, "It's atrocious...don't read it...there's no mindless blood and guts(if you want that, read Lord of the Rings)...it's nothing like the rest of the series." Well, I would completely dissagree with the blatantly shallow comment that Dune Messiah is atrocious. But, I would not dissagree with the notion that it is completely different from the rest of the series...and that is a good thing. Often times, I grow weary of series' that drone on with the same stylistic format, especially in sci-fi/fantasy. Take for instance, Lord of the Rings. I love the story, the plot, etc. But because of the style and the fact that the three books are actually one single book, it causes one of the sections to lag. That particular section is 'The Two Towers.' Sure, it has plenty of action and blood, but there is absolutely no thought or depth in it. It, literally, is just a bridge from one good book to the last, nothing more. This is where 'Dune Messiah' succeeds. It's not simply a continuation of 'Dune.' The book is a thought-provoking analysis of Paul and his religious Jihad. As 'Dune' concludes that Paul is a Jesus figure, 'Dune Messiah' concludes that one should decide objectively whether Paul is Jesus or Adolf Hilter.The book has an extremely thorough explanation of the inner-struggle of Paul's character that is only hinted at in 'Dune.' But, this book also gives the objective look at the opinions of priests, family members, heretics, newly-reiterated characters, and historians on Paul and his Imperial Jihad. Is what Paul is doing morally just? Or is it tyranny? The book leaves the reader with his/her own thoughts, but not without making the reader fully understand Paul.
I never thought that a Science Fiction book could have such enthrawling character developement. But Frank Herbert truly has revealed that he can do it as well as any literary figure in history....and the plot's not too shabby either!! The only thing it lacks is Lady Jessica. Well, luckily, we haven't seen the end of her...
Book Review: Continuing Satisfaction and Excellence
Summary: 5 Stars
As many have noted, this second work veers into an entirely new direction than the first book. Whereas "Dune" reeked of war and heroism and epic events on a grand scale, this one is more intimate, almost inwardly perspective. It is not in any way a clone of the first novel but a continuation of the story.The operative word is in the title, "Messiah". Both the first and the second novels are presentations of the hope of almost every ancient civilization: A mighty man of goodness will appear and smite the sinners while elevating the downtrodden. The way this prophecy coincides with the ancient breeding program of the Bene Geseret witches is the heart of the first novel. Although the author obviously favors Arabic/Islamic motifs, the personal story of Paul is more that of Jesus than Mohammed...the curious birth, the one who does not understand his own mission, the teacher and alas, the one who dies for the sins of the world.
Like all Messiahs, the teachings are sublimated as the focus of the cult becomes the person. Despite protests, the object of worship becomes the man himself. Casual sayings are codified into a creed that followers misinterpret or translate to support an existing structure. This path may be inevitable since it is far easier to worship someone that follow their advice. Paul, like Mohammed, excels in bloodshed and his adopted Fremen have conquered the Universe in a Holy War to end all wars. The old adage, "An evil act is justified by its ultimate goal, " plays out repeatedly in this novel. The Fremen have their Messiah yet nothing really changes, people are still the same inside - only the externals have varied.
The palace intrigues are more subtle, the dialogue elevated to a new plane, the philosophical arena larger. Like Islam, the cult becomes a hereditary institution whose power remains in the family. Once again, the story of the witches captivates and enthralls and ones attitude toward Paul's siter becomes one of pity at her helplessness.
This is not an easy book to start out with but a necessary one for the series itself.
Book Review: An outstanding continuation of the greatest sci-fi series ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to follow up a novel so superb, so flawless, so damn good as Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi epic DUNE. But in my opinion, Herbert succeeded in writing an excellent sequel - DUNE MESSIAH. DUNE MESSIAH is actually more of a continuation than a sequel, picking up 12 years after the original novel. Emperor Paul Atreides rules over Arrakis - and the universe, for that matter - with an iron fist. Known as Muad'dib to his many worshippers, Paul is disgusted with himself and his reign as emperor. Religious groups commit violence in his name, worshipping him without a concept of what he is (or isn't) capable of. Meanwhile, a secret group plots his downfall ... the first step of which involves the resurrection of one of Paul's most beloved friends - Duncan Idaho.
DUNE MESSIAH focuses a little more on the fantastic and a little less on the political, unlike its predecessor. This is hardly a bad thing - it makes the novel more interesting. DUNE MESSIAH is also darker, more dramatic, more romantic, and more sexual. It's filled with intriguing twists and is rarely - if ever - predictable. It's a far more complex novel than DUNE, and all the more fun for it. While reading it, I never once thought, "This is sure ain't DUNE." True, DUNE MESSIAH isn't DUNE - and, in a wise move by Frank Herbert, it never tries to be.
DUNE MESSIAH is an outstanding continuation of what I believe to be the greatest sci-fi series ever written. It's complexity is intriguing, while its differences from DUNE make it seem entirely fresh and new. Though many consider DUNE MESSIAH to be a lesser novel than DUNE, I found it to be very nearly as good as its predecessor. I commend Mr. Herbert on writing an excellent continuation of a magnificent epic.
Book Review: Fascinating
Summary: 5 Stars
Okey, the plot for DUNE MESSIAH goes somethin' like this. Maud'Dib has launched a jihad upon the galaxy, and he has succesfully conquered thousands of planets. Now, you can imagine that he isn't the most well-liked person in the universe. Conspiracies against him abound--even among the Fremen, some of whom have pledged their efforts to revolution and have found a means of obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The focus is less on world-building and more on plot in this sequel, but that isn't to say that MESSIAH has nothing new to offer of the Duneiverse. Particularly interesting are the Bene Tleilax, a mysterious race of cloners. Composed of the docile Face Dancers (who can spaheshift) and the ominous Masters, the Tleilaxu are barely human and can engineer anything and anyone bioligcal. They send Maud'Dib a clone of Duncan Idaho trained as a mentat and a Zensunni philosopher....with a secret mission: assassinate Maud'Dib.
Dune Messiah is second only to the original novel. Unfortunately, this novel is only 300 pages long and is done with awfully fast. However, it is easily superior to, say, the mundane GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE, or even CHILDREN OF DUNE, because everything is NOT enshrouded in mindless, meaningless philosophy. THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPEN!!! Imagine that.
More than a mere sci-fi/fantasy novel, MESSIAH is a work of art and every bit a must-read. You wouldn't read FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and skip THE TWO TOWERS, would you? It's not like you're going to buy FORWARD THE FOUNDATION without buying the original FOUNDATION...so don't stop with DUNE, either.
10/10