Rating: 
Summary: Good, depending on what your expectations are
Review: Let me get this out of the way right now. As 100 reviewers have said already, this is not the original Dune. Oh well. Nothing like that is ever going to come out again anyway. The thing is, once you get those expectations out of your head and take this book for what it is, you may well be surprised as to how good it really is. There are two expectations I have for any prequel to a series I have read before. 1. It stands alone as an enjoyable read by itself 2. It adds to future readings of the original story. Taking the second one first, it meets that criterion and then some. One reviewer lampooned this book for not leaving as many unanswered questions as Dune. I think this book WAS written as an answer, rather than a question. Dune opened with a precreated universe that was already rich in Herbert's notes, into which we only got glimpses that we could piece together as the series went on. House Atreides serves as a much wider window to the past of the Atreides family and of Arrakis. For those of you who ever wondered how a planetologist could "go native" on a planet as strange as Arrakis, or how the baron could get just THAT fat, this book will tell you. The first time rereading the original after I read this book was filled with "oohs" and "oh, so THAT'S how that happened." In and of itself, that was worth the price of the book. The first criterion is also met, in my opinion. Agreed, the writing is not as dense as the original, and the scene changing is a bit choppier. The universe Herbert created still enthralled me though, as did the plot unfolding in this prequel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book in its own right, as well as for the insight into the larger world it gave me. My recommendation? If you idolize Frank Herbert so much that you feel anything not by him must be inferior, this may not be the book for you. You'll set your expectations so high you won't notice when it is "merely" great. Otherwise, buy this book and read it, than reread the original series. If you've never had exposure to Herbert before, you might want to try reading the original than picking up this book later on.
Rating: 
Summary: a great place to start after seeing "Dune"
Review: This book is necessary to understand the inner workings of the entire Dune saga. With this, we can see glimpses into the future of many important figures of "Dune" through how they were while younger, such as Leto & Duncan as boys, Shaddam's rise to power, & why Kynes started his work on Arrakis. The flow of action is beautifully crafted - espescially the events leading up to & during Leto's trial - & the the descriptions of important locales such as Kaitain, Caladan, & Giedi Prime put anything shown in the movie "Dune" to shame. I'm glad i read this book before attempting to compare the book to the movie "Dune" because otherwise i would have been sadly disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Could possibly be the best in the series.
Review: When trudging through the last three books of the Dune series, the only thing that I wished for was the end the of all this philisophical mumbo jumbo. What about the action, character development, and the whole new world presented to us in the first Dune book? Well, this book is everything I wished for and more. Initially, I was a little weary of this book because it was prequel. I later found out that this book exemplifies what a prequel should be. All those great characters, groups, and kingdoms from Dune are in here. It's a great novel in and of itself, but it re-energized my interest in the Dune series as well. This book is very, very, fluid; unlike Frank Herbert's writing style. Also, it's just bursting with action, interesting characters, and very interesting plots and sub-plots. The story of Duncan Idaho is worth the hardcover price alone! If you have read Dune, I highly recommend this book. If you've read the whole series, you MUST read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not on par with the originals, but still good stuff.
Review: Of course I didn't expect it to be as complex as Frank Herberts works. It was still a fun book and I wasn't disappointed. It actually exceeded my expectations. It may also be a good beginning point for younger readers to get into the Dune universe.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice setup, sorta fell flat there at the end.
Review: Writing a book against Frank Herbert's masterpiece is no easy task. The authors make a valiant attempt and come away with something that's a nice Saturday afternoon read, but nothing that I'd re-read again and again (as I have Dune). The most disappointing thing is that the book just kind of falls apart at the end. There's no punch. No sense of "Wow" when you put it down. All kinds of setup is done for the next book in the series, but since it's a shallow attempt...the interest just doesn't carry.
Rating: 
Summary: No Original
Review: Well, I must say that the review from that "French guy" was absolutely wonderful, I too felt that this book needed alot more than a boring storyline and laser fights. It's funny to see how the sci-fi fans who call themselves "true Herbert adherents" dismiss Francois' claim that the book has no real heart. All they can do is complain about how great the book was and it's funny to see different names when probably the same person wrote all the good reviews.
Rating:
Summary: A welcome return to Herbert's universe
Review: I hesitated to read this novel when it first came out. I figured that it couldn't be as good as the original series. Then, at an airport, I needed something to read, so I bought it. I devoured it. It has persuaded me to return to the originals, and I find this to fit seamlessly with Dune & Dune, Messiah (just started Children ...) I found the existence of Axlotl tanks 50 years prior to the production of the first Duncan Idaho ghola interesting. And, of course, Vladimir Harkonnen is typically ruthless, commissioning the no-ship and then killing its inventor. I only wish I knew which book François Meursault read . . .
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good beginning
Review: Id just like to start off this review with saying that the first review up here... by that French guy, was absolutly uncalled for. Now with that out of the way... on to the books. It wasn't that bad. Although I agree that it did lack some of the mysticism and philosophy of the Frank Herbert originals, I liked the way it led into the wonderful book we know and loved. I actually got started reading these books from the movie, (Although I've heard it said- and am forced to agree- that the movie was horrible.) I watched when I was home sick one day, and caught just enough of the plot to think that the book might be interesting. Boy was I right! I spent a captivating week reading it all the way through London, and have been reading the sequals ever since. Although this prequel written by Frank Herbert's son, truly doesn't live up to his father's standards, I definetly would suggest reading it. Dune fans will love seeing old faces "before they were stars" and seeing their lives fall into place to where you know the story picks up in DUne. Dune: House Harkonnen seems like it might be pretty neat aswell, although, I can't think about what else they might have time to tell about before the starting of Dune. Oh well, we'll finde out!
Rating:
Summary: We Lost a Great Writer when Frank Herbert Died
Review: This book is another in the Dune series, carried on by Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and a science-fiction co-writer, Kevin Anderson. They base this volume on notes Brian's father kept about the events prior to the first book in the series. It is fascinating to learn the history leading up to the blockbuster novel, but neither of these writers can match Frank Herbert's skill. The character sketches seem pale in comparison to the work of the master. We are introduced to Leto as a boy, so we can understand how and why he makes some of the decisions he does as Duke on Dune. We meet Duncan Idaho, also a boy, and learn the hatred that is the root of all his swordsman's skill and passion. We meet schemers behind the Emperor's throne. We learn how the Landsraad congress functions. But the prose lacks the pointed clarity of Dune, and it especially lacks the in-depth explorations of the characters. A second book by this duo, also based on notes, has been published. I hope they managed to spend more time polishing it. I'm a little reluctant to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: What a terribly.... enjoyable book.
Review: Our typically french friend's review notwithstanding, I must say, Dune : House Atreides was thoroughly enjoyable. I prefer to view this book as a primer, or rosetta stone of sorts, for the Dune series by Frank Herbert. It gives the reader the 'keys' to the future of the series, and gave some background on topics left hanging by the later books. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't expect another epic on the scale of "War & Peace", merely a good story. And I got it. I sincerely hope Brian does as well with the next Dune novel, it will be on my purchase list. (Don't forget to read Moby Dick as well, I hear Oprah gave it 3 stars!)
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