Revisiting Dune

I finished Howard’s End Is on the Landing and now I’m working on Frank Herbert’s Dune.

I read Dune once before, back when I lived in Connecticut. Though it was a long time ago, it was not before having seen the David Lynch film version. So my reading experiences for this book have always been colored by the film. Dr. Yueh is Dean Stockwell. Dr. Kynes is Max von Sydow. And of course, Paul Atreides is a twentyish Kyle MacLachlan (which is confusing at times, since the character is supposed to be just 15 years old).

But I’m actually glad to have seen the film first. It’s not a great standalone movie or even necessarily a good interpretation of the book, but it’s interesting. It made me want to read the book.

It has also helped me to understand the book better and to plow through the difficult parts. Herbert’s writing is inconsistent. The first chapter is brilliant, but then the next is bloated with exposition. It goes back and forth like that—sometimes good, sometimes not—but always the thread of the movie keeps me tethered to the story.

I’m enjoying this reread so much that I’ve decided to watch the film again. I also want to see the two TV miniseries. I requested all three from the library today. My goal is to finish the book by the time they arrive.