Dune

Last updated Jun 18, 2023

Author: Frank Herbert

It took me 3 months to finish this book. It’s a REALLY GOOD BOOK, but I was just struggling out of my reading slump by then. I really love the way the writer portrays the scene and the emotions each character was feeling.

I picked this one up, with no expectations. So I was really surprised to see Islamic terms showing up in the book. Turns out this series is highly influenced by the middle eastern culture and such. Very good book! Highly recommend!

I really want to write down all the quotes for this book, but I sent the book home when my parents came to the UK to visit me. So yea, I’ll write it down this summer hopefully.

I am reading this one currently, although I may have stopped for a bit due to exams(well actually no, not because of exams, I just don’t feel like reading these days). But yea, will come back to it soon.

Scytale

Reason is the first victim of strong emotion

Very true! When I feel something so strongly. I would try my best(in my mind, or in my journal) to reason why I feel that way and to reason whether it is valid or not. Yea, but reason is often clouded when you feel strong emotions. That’s why, when time passes, and I re-read the journal entry I made when I was feeling the emotions. I have a more outward view of how I was feeling back then. Sometimes I feel stupid for feeling stuff, but sometimes, I can see why I feel that way and it taught me, how to think, the next time I feel such an emotion. How to cope better. How to react better. Yea, stuff like that.

‘I do not like the way you smile,’ … Mohiam

‘And I think less of what pleases you …’ Scytale

Savage :weary:

Paul’s Father (Duke Leto of Atreidis)

‘One who rules assumes irrevocable responsibility for the ruled. You are a husbandman. This demands at times, a selfless act of love which may only be amusing to those you rule.’

This made me think, that love is indeed, a selfless act. Like how an apology is a selfless act. Love is as well.

That reminds me how, when we want to be loved, often times we would want the other to accept us as a whole, flaws and all. And in return we will accept their flaws as well. And how can it get more selfless than that?

Paul

Part of her hold on him lay in the fact that he so seldom needed his tension-building powers with her. Chani mostly avoided indiscreet questions. She maintained a Freemen sense of good manners. Hers were more often practical questions. What interested Chani were facts which bore on the position of her man - his strength in Council, the loyalty of his legions, the abilities and talents of his allies. Her memory held catalogs of names and cross-indexed details. She could rattle off the major weakness of every known enemy, the potential dispositions of opposing forces, battle plans of their military leaders, the tooling and production capacities of basic industries.

Chani reminds me of the tales of women in Islam. Very inspirational. A very capable woman. Not just a ‘princess’ as we’re often told in western tales. However, this is not a feminist pov. She is capable yes, but that doesn’t mean that she takes the jobs of men. She has her own role, such as leading the women in her sietch and ultimately helping Paul go through difficulties. They support each other.