Wednesday, 14 April 2021 09:23 pm
Book Review: Dune Messiah
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deckardcanineAt the end of my copy of Frank Herbert's Dune, I read an essay mentioning that protagonist Paul Atreides, a.k.a. Muad'Dib, would go on to be quite the tyrannical antihero. This seemed a little odd given all his setup as a messianic figure, which was clear even before I knew the next title in the series. But then, we are talking about a messiah brought about by human rather than divine intervention. No matter what powers he attains or what he does with them, no matter how many prophecies he fulfills, the guiding hands are hardly perfect.
Indeed, 12 years after the first novel's events, the Bene Gesserit, who were responsible for Paul's origin and ascension, are in such conflict with him that they might as well be called archenemies. But they wouldn't pose nearly as much of a threat without their less scrupulous allies, especially the cunning Tleilaxu and psychic Guild Navigators (apparently genuine sapient aliens this time). I won't say much of what they do, but one major ploy from early on is to revive a dead friend of Paul's, Duncan Idaho, only with amnesia and a new mental programming. Paul knows that this "gift" is a trap, but he can't bring himself to get rid of even a semblance of Duncan, who might just have enough free will to stray from the conspiracy.
The writing style hasn't markedly improved. I don't like having to remember a lot of made-up words, and the editor slipped up several times. At least I've gotten more accustomed to, if not more welcoming of, the rapid POV shifts. And either (a) the story is easier to follow, (b) I've had more practice, or (c) I just stopped caring about the parts I didn't understand.
For me, the real entertainment herein was not in struggling to follow multiple smart parties but in seeing Paul struggle for a change. His powers have their limits, as do the powers of his still more extraordinary sister, Alia. More importantly, being seen as a messiah can really suck. He doesn't get crucified or anything, but his "followers," particularly among the Fremen, wouldn't actually follow his instructions to stop worshiping him (sort of a noncomedic Life of Brian). Stepping down from the imperial throne wouldn't do it.
At the same time, he faces growing unrest even among the Fremen. Turns out that a lot of people hate massive change regardless of how much they personally stand to gain from it (true in RL, I suppose). For example, Paul makes Dune a less uniformly desert planet, which interferes with some Fremen customs. I can't say I like their harsh culture any better than before, tho key individuals are likable enough.
Alia adds interest with her unique status. Having been born with her mother's memories, she doesn't feel strictly like a sister to Paul, and her mother's past with Duncan makes their interactions...uncertain. She has just reached physical maturity, and she's not the only one growing aware of it.
Lest you think her the only female character who matters, Paul has both a wife, Irulan, and a concubine, Chani. He makes no secret of the fact that his marriage was a purely political decision, and he refuses to consummate it. Small wonder that Irulan resents both him and Chani, who badly wants to produce an heir. This should give you a good idea of certain enemies' approach.
Yes, Paul does a lot of things that, when viewed from afar, make him look only slightly better than his nasty predecessor. Reading his thoughts prevents me from losing much respect for him. For the most part, he doesn't feel like he has a choice. And when you can see a lot of the future, that's a really bad feeling. I will never wish for prescience again (or so I predict).
The ending is pretty darn sad, but also victorious in its own way. And curiously hopeful. I'm in no hurry to read Children of Dune, but I won't rule out seeing what happens down the...well, not road; Dune doesn't have those.
Wanting a break from books about threats to a whole world, I have picked up Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. It'll take till after my birthday to finish, but I'm liking the style so far.
Indeed, 12 years after the first novel's events, the Bene Gesserit, who were responsible for Paul's origin and ascension, are in such conflict with him that they might as well be called archenemies. But they wouldn't pose nearly as much of a threat without their less scrupulous allies, especially the cunning Tleilaxu and psychic Guild Navigators (apparently genuine sapient aliens this time). I won't say much of what they do, but one major ploy from early on is to revive a dead friend of Paul's, Duncan Idaho, only with amnesia and a new mental programming. Paul knows that this "gift" is a trap, but he can't bring himself to get rid of even a semblance of Duncan, who might just have enough free will to stray from the conspiracy.
The writing style hasn't markedly improved. I don't like having to remember a lot of made-up words, and the editor slipped up several times. At least I've gotten more accustomed to, if not more welcoming of, the rapid POV shifts. And either (a) the story is easier to follow, (b) I've had more practice, or (c) I just stopped caring about the parts I didn't understand.
For me, the real entertainment herein was not in struggling to follow multiple smart parties but in seeing Paul struggle for a change. His powers have their limits, as do the powers of his still more extraordinary sister, Alia. More importantly, being seen as a messiah can really suck. He doesn't get crucified or anything, but his "followers," particularly among the Fremen, wouldn't actually follow his instructions to stop worshiping him (sort of a noncomedic Life of Brian). Stepping down from the imperial throne wouldn't do it.
At the same time, he faces growing unrest even among the Fremen. Turns out that a lot of people hate massive change regardless of how much they personally stand to gain from it (true in RL, I suppose). For example, Paul makes Dune a less uniformly desert planet, which interferes with some Fremen customs. I can't say I like their harsh culture any better than before, tho key individuals are likable enough.
Alia adds interest with her unique status. Having been born with her mother's memories, she doesn't feel strictly like a sister to Paul, and her mother's past with Duncan makes their interactions...uncertain. She has just reached physical maturity, and she's not the only one growing aware of it.
Lest you think her the only female character who matters, Paul has both a wife, Irulan, and a concubine, Chani. He makes no secret of the fact that his marriage was a purely political decision, and he refuses to consummate it. Small wonder that Irulan resents both him and Chani, who badly wants to produce an heir. This should give you a good idea of certain enemies' approach.
Yes, Paul does a lot of things that, when viewed from afar, make him look only slightly better than his nasty predecessor. Reading his thoughts prevents me from losing much respect for him. For the most part, he doesn't feel like he has a choice. And when you can see a lot of the future, that's a really bad feeling. I will never wish for prescience again (or so I predict).
The ending is pretty darn sad, but also victorious in its own way. And curiously hopeful. I'm in no hurry to read Children of Dune, but I won't rule out seeing what happens down the...well, not road; Dune doesn't have those.
Wanting a break from books about threats to a whole world, I have picked up Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. It'll take till after my birthday to finish, but I'm liking the style so far.