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Summary: Dune Messiah
Review: Dune MessiahThis book continues the saga of the messiah/Kwistatz Haderach Paul Muad'Dib from the original Dune. Dune Messiah was a little more involving than Dune I think. Sometimes it is kind of slow moving, while at other times it is very fast paced and interesting. Also it describes scenery and thoughts very well.
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Summary: BORING!!! Is this by the same guy that wrote "Dune"?
Review: I find it hard to believe this is also a Frank Herbert book, after reading the great "Dune". I understand the book is a collection of serial installments published in a scifi magazine, and that is exactly how it reads. There is none of the character development we find in the original except for the revived Duncan Idaho who struggles between two masters. You never find out why he decides to stay on the side of Paul at the end, one point of the novel that I thought might be interesting. There wasn't much talk about water this time either, one of the good parts of the first book. It seemed like Arrakis was becoming more moist, people weren't hoarding water as much as they did in the first novel, but why? Had some scientific plan for the distribution of the stored water in the cave gone into effect? If this was discussed I missed it. At the end I was basically forcing myself to finish it. I will read the rest of the series but I sure hope they're closer to the original than this book was.
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Summary: Great Sequel
Review: Herbert carries on the Dune legacy with another spellbinding novel. Although I have to agree with most people that the original Dune was far superior, Messiah more than adequately shines as the second book of the series.
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Summary: Easier to follow than Dune
Review: If you read Dune, then do yourself a favor and read Dune Messiah. It is a much easier read, with a great conspiracy and plot. Much less cumbersome than Dune. The story stays with its main focus and doesn't go in different directions each chapter. Excellent!
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Summary: Quite possibly the best in the series.
Review: Dune Messiah suffers in the general consensus from being plot-driven and extremely complex; for readers who take the time and effort to delve into its themes and characters, it is one of the greatest sci-fi books of all time. Messiah is not so much a sequel to Dune as it is a companion; it is impossible to fully understand the themes, motivations, and implications of the original Dune (or any of the others, even) without reading and comprehending Dune Messiah. Herbert takes his average hero from the first book and shapes him into a realistic, faulted human -- ironic considering Paul's decidedly abnormal powers. Finally, we see Muad'dib as he really is: torn by his position as emperor, cursed by his vision of the future, yet still capable of his duties to kingdom and family. His ultimate fate sums up a masterful, twisted analogy to the life of Christ. This is also the incredible origin of Duncan...the Duncan you will come to know throughout the other books. Messiah is not for the faint of heart though. If you can't handle a lot of philosophy, just keep walking. Some points in Dune Messiah are so profound that I had to quit reading and just spend a couple minutes thinking about what Herbert means. What a rare treat that is; I can honestly say that Dune Messiah changed the way I think about things, about life. If you give it a chance, it may just do the same for you.
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Summary: Comparable to Dune? No. Just as good? Yes.
Review: In fact, I would consider Dune Messiah to be better than the original Dune. Dune is a masterpiece, don't misunderstand, but Messiah goes much deeper. Dune was about Paul, rising to become the leader of the Fremen, and focused on his power and prescience. In Messiah, we find out that prescience is not a gift, and is much more a curse. Paul Muad'dib goes through many trials in this book, but the recurring theme is how his prescience warps him to become less of a God, and more of a man. Paul was not perfect, as we find out, and while the book is more philosophical than action-packed, it is a much better experience. Many say that because it is not like Dune, it is not good. The good in this book is hidden. The conspiracy to kill Paul, the hidden intentions of Reverend Mother Mohiam, Paul's mind, Alia's abrasiveness, Hayt's true purpose, the list goes on. To understand these things is to understand the entire Dune series, and to say that this book is not as good as Dune is to admit that you didn't understand Messiah for what it was.
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Summary: well i think Herbert trpped over his own feet
Review: Hmmm. Herbert tried to make the sequel to "Dune" as great as his first book. But he failed poorly. The Hero of "Dune", Paul Attreides, now is emperor himself, and all the book does is merely giving a biography. There isn't much excitement in it, but in the end. Actually it took my three attempts to finish this one. The only problem is, that this book is important to understanding it's sequels. So take it with dignity and work yourself through the world of science-fiction policy. Good Luck!
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Summary: Fear of the Golden Path
Review: Having read other reviews of this, the 2nd dune novel and bridge between father and son I feel that I have to put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard. Although this book does not offer the same level of action and adventure as Dune it is still a brilliant piece of work. Set shortly after Paul seizes the imperial throne from Shaddam IV it tells of the troubled pregnancy of Chani, the reluctance of Paul to follow 'The Golden Path' revealed to him during Spice trance and the various plots within plots within plots that are being formed to remove the Atreides from the throne and Paul from the centre of his newly formed religion. Although due to its lack of length and seemingly disappointing ending I felt that it was still a good book and necessary for the series to continue. If you have read this book and feel a bit put off I urge you to read the next in the series, 'Children of Dune', as it sheds light on the actions and motivations of Paul in this book, and between the two helps you to understand the development of the Dune story as a whole.
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Summary: how art the mighty fallen
Review: A sad book in some ways, tracing as it does the fall from power of the once-idealistic Muad'Dib. Cleverly researched and written.
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Summary: A Competent Sequel
Review: This is the second book of the Dune series by Frank Herbert. This book picks up soon after the end of the first book. Paul Maud'Dib Atreides, main character in the first book and now emperor of the galaxy, has to deal with the results of the jihad he reluctantly released on the galaxy as well as the threats to his power from within his own palace. This book is more introspective than the first book, lacking most of the action and focusing instead on the foibles of the various characters and Herbert's musings on religion and politics. This book makes even more clear than the first book that Paul is not actually a hero, but a flawed man trying to cope with the enormity of his own power and the terrible bloodshed that is being committed in his name. The book is an essay on the dangers of absolute power and of the combination of religious and political power. Dune Messiah is also a story of the danger of a ruler becoming disaffected from those closest to him. The greatest danger to Paul comes from his disaffected wife. Paul also cuts off his beloved concubine from his decision-making and instead chooses a course which leads him towards personal destruction to save the galaxy. Perhaps Herbert's real message here is that domestic bliss is the key to happiness even for the all-powerful. Although this book is interesting, it is mainly filler between the masterpiece of Dune and the very good Children of Dune.
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