Dune Read-Along Discussion :: Part 1

Did y'all know I participated in another read-along? Probably not, since I haven't mentioned it here. Life's been kind of crazy recently! But I did read Dune by Frank Herbert, hosted by the always awesome Jenni, Suey, and Kami! :) I was supposed to post these discussion posts as we were reading, but....yeah. It didn't happen. Sorry ladies! But better late than never, right? (I hope?)

It was a very intriguing story. I'd never read anything remotely like it before, but decided that it's good to read outside of my comfort zone. Get a fresh perspective of something different and maybe learn more about what I like and don't like in stories. And I had the chance to maybe find an amazing new book to add to my favorites pile, which is always a fabulous thing! I'll save all my thoughts and feelings for the discussion posts and my review though.

So! Jenni hosted this first discussion, head over here to read what everyone else thought. Now on to my answers!


1. Have you ever read a high sci-fi book before?

No, I haven't.

2. Is this your first time reading Dune?

It is! It's good to read something different than my usual. :)

3. If this is your first time reading Dune, is the book anything like you expected it to be? If this isn’t your first time reading it, have you noticed anything different this time around?

I wasn't sure what to expect, to be quite honest. I had seen bits and pieces of the miniseries from 2000, but not enough to be entirely certain precisely what the book would be about. But I did know it had giant sandworms in it! And something about blue eyes, so those parts were similar to what I was expecting. Everything else was new.

4.Were you surprised that you knew who the traitor was before everything went down at the end of this book? Did it help prepare you? Or, were you bugged by it?

I was surprised actually, because most authors don't show that in the very beginning. And I expected it to help prepare me, but by the time the actual betrayal took place, I had been so caught up in everything else that was happening I'd kind of forgotten to be on my toes for that! So it surprised me again, slightly. :)

5. What do you think of the idea of recycling the water from your body to survive in such an arid climate?

I can understand the necessity of it and do think it a pretty ingenious idea. But still....*shudder* I'm very glad I don't have to do that!

6. What was your favorite part of this section? Why?

When Duke Leto and Paul see the sandworm for the first time! After hearing so much about them, and with my teeny tiny little bit of prior knowledge of them, it was fun to finally get to "see" it.

7. Which character(s) do you find the most interesting? Why?

I like Gurney Halleck! Just because he's awesome. And Paul is interesting. Not sure I like him, but he is interesting.

8. Are there any revelations in this section that surprised you?

Not really? There was so much foreshadowing of things that, looking back, nothing really truly shocked me. (Or maybe I was reading too quick for things to sink in properly.)

9. What do you think of Dune so far? Are you having a hard time following what’s going on? It is engaging? Boring?

If I had just picked the book up randomly and started reading, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten past the first chapter. The varying narrators that constantly change mid-paragraph almost, and just the confusion of trying to figure out exactly what was going on, was all a big jumbled mess for me. It took me a while to get used to the writing. But I am glad I kept going! The more I read, the more hooked I got. Kudos to Mr. Herbert for keeping my attention! Although I will also say that all the political maneuverings and talking heads kind of bored me. I wanted more action!

10. Do you have any predictions about what’s going to happen in the next section?

Since I've already finished the book, I can't really answer this question properly. But I remember thinking (after I finished book one) that things would surely get more interesting in book two! (I was hoping anyway. :)