Dune Read Along: Discussion Three

Well, we did it! We finished reading Dune. For our third and final discussion Kami is hosting. Stop on by her blog to link up and read other peoples thoughts on part three. Don't forget the Twitter chat tonight at 9:00 pm MDT. #DuneRAL




1. What are your overall thoughts? Did you like it?
I was into the plot but just never connected to anyone. I also felt like A LOT happened in just one book. It felt like too much and that affected my overall opinion.


2. Do you think you could ride a giant worm?

Never. Despite being a big fat wimp, I'd feel bad. I couldn't believe how they hurt them to keep them above sand. It was an awesome idea and it worked well for the story but it made me sad.

3. Paul's relationship with his mom, Jessica, dramatically changed and evolved over the course of the book. How did their relationship change and why do you think it did?

Definitely things changed between them. He was all dependent on her at first but then quickly took a leadership role. I understood his resentment of her but I thought he was kind of a jerk about it.


4. What do you think about Paul's lack of emotion?

I didn't think Paul had a lack of emotions until that last scene. Then I sort of thought he became a complete asshole! So he was pissed at his fate. Big deal! We all have crap we have to do and hate it sometimes. So what! Suck it up!

5. Now that I've finished, I feel like I'd pick up on a lot more of the details and things if I read it again. Do you think you'll reread Dune? If this is a reread, did you catch different things this time around?

I won't be re-reading this one. I know I'd pick up on more if I did but I just can't. There wasn't enough emotional connection to any of the characters for me.


6. How do you feel about the political arrangement at the end? Do you feel bad for Princess Irulan or Chani?

That was a really shitty ending. I'm sorry, but ouch! Why were they so damn heartless towards Princess Irulan? Geeze. You'd think Paul, being a slave of fate, would be more understanding of her. What a horrible cruel way to end the book. I felt like Jessica and Paul had become incredibly bitter.


7. Will you read the rest of the series?

No. Mainly because I learned in this book that when I expected that maybe Herbert wasn't a complete jerk and would maybe take us down a better path he NEVER did. So I can hardly continue reading the series. He won't make any thing better.


8. Favorite character and why?

I might have said Alia or Jessica or even Paul but by the end of the book my favorite character was Princess Irulan. Most of the chapter introductions were her history of Maud'Dib and after seeing how cruelly she was going to be treated it made me think, "maybe she finds solace in writing the history".


9. What did you think about the quotes at the beginning of each chapter? Did you read them? Were they interesting? Were they helpful?

I think I covered this question above. I read them. I enjoyed them but I was trying to figure out who Princess Irulan was.


10. Did you have fun during the Read Along? Was there anything we could have done better? Would you have read this book if you hadn't joined?

I had fun. The Twitter chats were fun and seeing everyone's opinions has been fun too. I would have read this book for book club but I would have dragged through it. The Read Along helped me get through it faster.