Rating: 
Summary: Hey, I actually liked this book!
Review: I've read through some of the other reviews, which mostly seem to be written by several described "die-hard" Dune fans who felt that this book didn't live up to their unrealistic expectations. Well, I believe that I should qualify as a "die-hard" fan myself--I did read all six of the original books and was quite disappointed that Frank Herbert died before he could write the sequel to Dune: Chapterhouse--but I actually LIKED this book. I think that most fans will appreciate having more of the background story and thus will devour all three of the prequel books as I have. So what if the writing quality doesn't quite live up to Frank Herbert's? This is not something I even noticed (it was mentioned in other reviews), but regardless, it's the Dune CONCEPT that is so amazing, and Herbert's son and co-writer have done a great job with it. I think that any REASONABLE Dune fan will love this book and the two follow-up prequels as well--you just need to read them with an open mind!
Rating: 
Summary: Just A Fun Book
Review: As someone who's never read Frank's works (or hardly any science fiction at all), and remembers next to nothing about the movie, I have to say that as novels go, House Atreides is a reasonably fun read. It doesn't purvey much of a sense of originality, however much it borrows from its predecessors. The plot and style are sadly standard for a "youth" book, and it's a little odd when the book deals with adult themes, like it can't find its audience.I got the book from someone who didn't finish it, who had gotten it from someone else who didn't want to finish it (sf fans both), which is never a good sign. I did finish it, and enjoyed it enough to consider looking at House Harkonnen, and then go on to Frank's stuff. I can't speak for his fans, but anyone else will probably be bored by the first 100 pages or so, and find the whole thing just a little light. The authors seem a little wary of taxing their readers with any depth to chew on while their waiting for action to pick up, and I found myself glancing briefly at paragraphs after the drama begins, which is something you'd expect from the cheap, dime-a-dozen paperbacks that get the lion's share of the sf/fantasy section at the bookstore. While there is a demand for that sort of thing, a Dune book (or any outstanding fiction) should strive for a little more permanence. If not for it's heritage and subject matter, I think House Atreides would be held no higher than the rank and file of sf.
Rating: 
Summary: Dune Lite
Review: This book is okay, perhaps even "good" if you are used to reading other novels which are merely serial additions in a mega franchise such as the case with the "Star Wars" novels. If you're a Dune fan, however, you're probably used to books with more substance. Dune: House Atreides is lacking true substance. To use a "Dune" word to describe D:HA, I would have to use "ghafla." The entire novel is composed of the gadfly distractions built into the original novels. There is no penetrating philosophical or ecological insight. The characters lack depth. The situations are vapid. The book is also riddled with direct contradictions with the original Dune Chronicles, and more subtle hints that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson just didn't "get" several aspects of the original novel. Some of the inconsistencies: The most blatent one is the fact that the Bene Tleilaxu are known in D:HA as extreme religious fanatics. This is a *CLOSELY GUARDED SECRET* in the Dune novels, and it isn't even revealed until the 5th book in the original series (which takes place roughly 6,000 years after D:HA.) Even when this fact is revealed, it is known only to a few within the secretive Bene Gesserit. When I read the pasages in D:HA that made it clear that it Tleilaxu religious fanaticism was a commonly known fact, I couldn't believe it... this is the sort of mistake that even somebody moderately familiar with the series as a whole would make, and yet Brian, Frank Herbert's son, and Kevin, for whom "Dune" is apparently his favorite book of all time make this mistake. It is inexplicable. Also, the Baron's gross physique that we see Dune is attributed to an illness inflicted upon him by the Reverend Mother Mohiam, but repeatedly it is strongly implied in the series that the Baron's form is a result of his propensity towards "sampling pleasures" and his sensual nature. It may seem a minor thing, but it actually is a key factor in considering the Baron as character. The dynamic duo have completely missed on this one. Also, another character, Piter de Vries, the twisted mentat undergoes a complete makeover for D:HA. Gone is the effiminate, spice-eating blue-within-blue eyed Piter of original Dune. Instead, we get the "David Lynch movie Piter," who guzzles sapho and is about as effiminate as the the Baron himself. Who else did they get blatently wrong? How about Leto's father, who is described in Dune as a very cold, rather cruel man... a man Jessica repeatedly curses in her thoughts in Dune, attributing all of Leto's coldness of character to the man... and yet the man we see in Dune is not cold at all. Quite the contrary, he is remarkedly warm and jovial, much moreso than the Duke Leto. And he dies before Jessica has a chance to meet him. This book is an insult to the original novels. Why 2 stars, instead of 1? Well, from what I've heard so far of House Harkonnen, and the excerpts I've read, it's even worse (the Bene Gesserit have superpowers such as telekenisis and invisibility, common Harkonnen cannon fodder know of the most secret of Fremen secrets: the Water of Life, and the pre-chapter quotes are even more horrible than those in HA.) So I want to play it safe and reserve the 1 star rating for House Harkonnen should it truly deserve a rating worse the D:HA. My recommendation: If you have never read a Dune novel, buy the original Dune of Frank Herbert, and if you like what you read, buy the other novels written by him. If you are a Dune fan and you absolutely must read every Dune novel that is published, no matter how horrible, check this one out of the library.
Rating:
Summary: BEFORE You Start Reading House Atreides:
Review: First, this is a two star book. I gave it three stars because I wasso elated to finally tread once again the sands of Frank Herbert'suniverse. About halfway through, the "honeymoon" was over,and I realized that this book lacks Frank Herbert's lean, gritty,captivating style. Since it's the only Dune prequel out there, I willgladly continue with House Harkonnen, as I suspect most Dune fanswill.Second, even though this book is a prequel, ***Do NOT readthis book unless you have previously read Frank Herbert's Dune, DuneMessiah, and Children of Dune***.Unless you read the originalsFIRST, House Atreides will probably not make sense to you and you maynot relate to it at all (but I'd be interested in the reviews ofreaders for whom this book is their first Dune experience).Third,having said all that, if you read House Atreides first then try toread Dune, you might stumble when you step from the loose, wanderingstyle of "Atreides" to the tightly-woven, captivatingcomplexities of Dune. This would be most unfortunate, as Dune is anovel of breathtaking scope and insight, and should NOT bemissed.One last point: The authors faced an interesting challengehere: House Atreides is set just a few decades prior to Dune, so thatthere exists a large established reader base which knows how theseprequels are supposed to end. Normally, we know the beginning and theend is the surprise. The trick is in writing interesting plotlinesthat lead to the known endpoints. I hope the writing becomes tighterin House Harkonnen, and in whatever follows.Good reading to you!
Rating:
Summary: Welcome back, old friend
Review: The hours that I've spent with the Atreides clan have been a joy, a span of time that took me away from an ordinary life and gave me a part, albeit as a reader/observer and, later, fan in a saga of hope and redemption set in a future that I would never see. When Herbert senior died, I thought that this special place was gone forever. When I learned that the series would continue, I almost wanted it NOT to be true. After all, why would you gild the lily?The verdict? As Lewis Carroll wrote "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" It works! They're here. A duke. His lady. A Baron. An Emperor. The Bene Gesserit. The Freman. The whole Cast. They're all here and I'm happy. The new book isn't perfect. It drags a little sometimes and sometimes it moves too fast. A few sections seem contrived and occasionally it goes over the top. But who cares? Dune has returned and it's good to have it back. And when you meet an old friend after years apart, you know that they've changed and you've changed. Still, there is joy.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding! Outstanding!
Review: When I began this book it was with a feeling of trepidation, for I loved the original Dune series and questioned whether this was going to be a cheap ripoff. But it is the real deal! We're back in Frank Herbert's universe with all the plots and counter-plots. This book is every bit as good as the original. The detail is stunning. I loved this book down to the last word and period and anxiously await the next one. Great read-keep them coming. P.S. My wife loved it too!
Rating:
Summary: A shadow of the original epic
Review: It was inevitable that the Dune saga would fall to prequelitis, the insatiable demand for new authors to fill in the gaps suggested by plots of well established franchises. We get to see our favorite characters before they became our favorite characters. (Almost every time, we learn why the author offered us what he had) In "Dune: House Atreides" we meet the heroic and ultimately martyred Leto Atreides, the vile Vlad Harkonnen, and Shaddam - the future emperor of the known universe. In addition to other charachters also already established in Dune lore, we meet the royal family of Ix, exiled when their world is overrun by the insidious Bene Tleilax, and Leto's father, Duke Paulus. Though its title suggests the heroic (though ultimately despotic) Atreides are the focus, "House Atreides' tells as much about them as the Harkonnen. Actually, Shaddam IV, 38 years old and yet still just a prince, gets the lion's share of attention. With his father Elrood giving no hint of giving up the throne - kept alive through addiction to the spice melange - Shaddam conspires with his lifelong friend, the deadly Hasimir Fenring to end the emperor's reign. It's the authors' inability to focus on a single charachter - "Atreides" is intended as one of those "sweeping" novels - that waters the book down (no pun intended). None of the intense plotting, de rigeur for a Dune novel, becomes very intense here. There's no depth. Fenring, a master of the art of murder, is actually deadliest when he's just giving advice. Here however, he's just annoying, and his plotting hardly rises to macchiavellian - coaxing Shaddim into regicide, or into a scheme to develop a synthetic substiture for melange, or take a bene gesserit for a wife become perfunctory exercises unworthy for the future count and master of assassins. Neither Anderson nor Herbert develop Fenring in a way that would suggest his complete reversal in the climax of "Dune". The Bene gesserit themselves do little that should arouse suspicion, even though their plan to breed the messianic Kwisatz Haderach should be enough to raise a quarrel with the Spacing Guild, if not the emperor and the Landsraad and just about everybody else. Such a conflict between the BG and the guild - representing the two most established and immovable factions populating the Dune universe - should have been the focus of "Atreides". Instead, and unwisely, it's the illegal invasion of Ix that unite the charachters in this book - hardly a cause worthy of the heroic Leto. (the ruling house of Ix, a world dedicated to technological development, is exiled when their subjects who do the most work are moved to revolt; you need not be marxist to be unsympathetic given the ease by which the revolt succeeds.) The authors couldn't even be bothered to flesh out the age old conflict between Atreides and Harkonnen, a hole big enough to float a guild highliner through. Another hole is Leto's murdered father - described offhand as a cruel blowhard in the original "Dune", he's now a happy-go-lucky type that nobody could hate. But worst of all is Shaddam's collusion with the vile Tleilaxu - in which he backs their invasion of Ix in return for their development of a synthetic substitute for melange. The plot is ludicrous as success would give the Tleilaxu a chunk of the monopoly on spice production without their owing anything to the emperor (who at least exerts his control through his de facto directorship of the CHOAM conglomerate). I mean, if the Tleilaxu renged, how would Shaddam enforce his end? The unblanced deal would make sense had Shaddam nursed a vendetta against the Ixians - but the grudge against them was not Shaddam's, but Elrood's. Because "Atreides" is the first of a series, the authors haven't bothered themselves to make it whole and singular. Some parts of the book don't come together at all - like the expeditons of planetologist Liet Kynes or the story of C'tair, a loyal Ixian working against the Tleilax invaders. But worst of all, the novel lacks a solid voice, a single perspective in its scenes to feel the pain, joy, fear and triumph that all the plotting must create. "Atreides" simply fails because, unlike the spice melange that underlies much of the plotting, it is neither addictive nor conciouness expanding.
Rating:
Summary: Faithfull to the first Dune in the series
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. I had reservations about picking it up since I was disappointed with the series after the original Dune. This book blends all of the policital and personal adventure that made Dune an epoch. The remainding books were more run of the mill science fiction. I'm looking forward to reading the next prequel.
Rating:
Summary: Return once again to a place beyond your dreams....
Review: You know, after reading all six original books and watching the movie too many times to count, I'd have to say that I know my Dune. So after finally reading House Atreides, I must say that I'm very impressed by what the author's have done. The original six were amazing (Heretics being one of my favorites) and this prequel lived up to my expectations. The tale of Leto Atreides, Shaddam IV, Pardot Kynes, Baron Harkonnen, and Duncan Idaho was stellar. I always felt that I could identify with Leto, and the Harkonnen's were as insidious as ever. Pardot Kynes's journey as planetologist was truly amazing as he integrated with the Fremen. And Duncan Idaho was in top form, even for an 8 year old boy. If you're a Dune fan and you still haven't read this, you've got work to do. If you're a newcomer, it's not a bad place to start, although I would read the original six first. Either way, if you love sci-fi books, this is among my favorites. Can't wait til I finish House Harkonnen.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but not as strong as the original
Review: Dune: House Atreides is a decent read, an enjoyable trip back to the world of Dune. The authors have done a respectable job of explaining the past that leads up to the original Dune, with some good characters and plenty of action. As with the original there are multiple plots, each with the power to stand on its own and at times weaving through the others. The story is somewhat hampered by weak writing; Mr. Anderson (whom I assume does the actual writing) is overly fond of starting sentences with prepositional phrases and gerunds. The pattern quickly becomes repetitive and distracting. The story is missing some of the original drama, especially the plot threads that relate to Arrakis. There isn't the sense of mystery and desperation on that planet that made the original Dune so exciting. In some scenes the planetologist is casually sipping spice coffee, as if there were plenty of water there. But I still found the story to be fun. Despite its weaknesses, who can resist a twenty-thumper journey into the deep desert on the back of a sand worm? I think most fans will probably enjoy this novel.
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