The Young, Youthful Duke Boy (Dune pages 1-75)

Thinking Man Book Club Week 1

So, it’s been a week (and a day) already, which means it’s time for an update.

It seems like we’re going to average about 75 pages a week (of the new edition, pictured above).

Let’s just say we’re not too sure about this one so far. But we’re determined to finish, so here goes—our thoughts on the first 75 pages of Dune.

Melissa’s comments:

I’m not one for absurd, elaborate conspiracies. However, I can’t help but think that the only reason why this book could have been chosen as the inspiration of a hit blockbuster film series besides the fact that ‘big brother’ does not want anyone to read.

If I wasn’t a reader, and I picked up Dune as the one book I’d finally sit down and attempt to read, I would have given up instantly, vowing to never lay my eyes on another page of fiction in my life.

Don’t get me wrong—the story was thought out. I mean, the guy wrote an entire glossary for this book (by the way, in case you didn’t know, there’s a glossary in the back of the book—use it to help you comprehend the thing, but stay away from the other appendixes to avoid spoilers). However, it just doesn’t seem to be written very well at all, which is surprising, because it’s heralded as one of the greatest works of science fiction of all time.

I wanted to like this book. It’s interesting in the same way that a philosophical text is interesting—you (might) want to read it to see what the guy’s gonna say, but nothing about it actually helps to keep the pages turning. However, for reference, I am simultaneously reading Plato’s Republic, which I consider to be the far juicier book out of the two.

That being said, I started this thing with the intentions of discussing this book, so here goes. Here are some things I found interesting about the opening chapters of Dune.

• This quote:

  “Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”

  This is a great idea, and very timely—just look at the censorship that’s already being imposed on these AI chat programs.

• This quote:

  “A world is supported by four things… the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are nothing… without a ruler who knows the art of ruling.”

  I don’t know if I believe this entirely, but it doesn’t seem too far off.

• The Orange Catholic Bible—the concept of a summation of all past religions is really, really cool. Plus, “Thou shalt not disfigure the soul” is such a great summation of what should be the desired goal of spiritual pursuits, I wish someone would go ahead and make a religion based off of this quote alone.

• The stockpiling of ‘spice’—this could have a number of real-world analogues (oil sticks out the most to me, but also, wars have been fought over spices, so perhaps this is also a nod to the past).

• The ‘Bene Gesserit’ is a pretty cool concept (even though every single character that has spoken about it so far has been insufferable). The concept of knowing (approximately) what’s going to happen but still having to play out the motions is an interesting one.

  • Also, mental note: one of the first thing the Bene Gesserit learns is the ancient tongues. I thought this was a nice detail.

I'm being generious, to be sure. So far, I can’t say I’m enjoying it all that much. I’ve heard that it picks up sometime around the hundred-page mark, so my fingers are crossed. 

John’s Comments:

Seventy-five pages in, and so far, my greatest takeway from the book is that it is very boring. Also, it seems like Herbert is talking down to the reader. I mean, seriously. So far, most of the book has been old people drooling over a very, very young, youthful yet cunning boy, who is very intelligent and bright and awe-inspiringly quick and attentive, while also having the utmost skill and precision of an assassin and the promise, strength, and intellect of a true future leader destined for greatness, all while at the heart of it remaining a young, youthful young boy named Paul.

There have been a lot of characters salivating about this young, youthful, intelligent boy Paul, who is so great and amazing and the future Maud’Dib, but there’s not really much reason to actually like the character. So yeah, it’s been a tough one for me to get behind.

Maybe I wouldn’t dislike the book so much had I not been reading Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell at the same time. Orwell’s depictions of a poor dishwasher on the streets of Paris have been far more interesting than scene after scene of a teacher/mother/father visiting the boy Paul, creaming all over themselves at the mere thought of him, followed by the boy Paul’s short responses which add nothing of value to the book at all.

I’m sorry. I’m really hoping the book gets better. One of my best friends really loves it and has been swearing by it for years, so I am holding out hope. But honestly, an Instagram reel of someone doing an impression of the young, youthful boy Paul using Trump’s voice has been the highlight of my voyage into the world of Arrakis—I mean, Dune, but it’s Arrakis, not Dune, but it is, it’s just not called it in the book so far.

Back to my take on the writing assuming the reader isn’t smart. There have been way too many long internal monologues from characters who are in the midst of a conversation. In no way is it possible for a real life person to speak extensively to themselves while actively holding a conversation with someone, and yet a whole paragraph of Yeuh’s thoughts managed to be squeezed in during a conversation between him and Jessica (ok I read two pages ahead).

Oh yeah, and why are there two normal names (the young boy Paul and Jessica), while the rest are all impossible to pronounce without looking it up? It’s been a frustrating first few pages. I’m sincerely hoping it turns around. If not, I’m going to be upset I shelved If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler and Foucault’s Pendulum for this.

With that, I’ll leave you with a scene that was not taken verbatim from the book, but might as well have been. See you next week for more Dune (Arrakis) talk.

Paul says, “You musn’t enter a room with your back to the door.”

My my. The youthful boy is so smart. So fascinating and cunning, truly. By the emperor. The boy is supple. Quite supple indeed. My oh my. He smiles to himself.

“Yes, young Dukeheir Boy. You are correct.”

It truly is profound.