Rating: 
Summary: Intricate plot lines, gripping action, but VIOLENT
Review: First of all, I think Amazon made a mistake listing this cassette edition as being read by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It's actually read by Tim Curry, as was Dune: House Atreides.I disagree with the other reviewers. I thought Dune: House Harkonnen was extremely well done. Especially Tim Curry's reading. When I first started listening to Dune: House Atreides, I wasn't sure Curry was a wise choice as reader. (I kept picturing him in Rocky Horror Picture Show, or comedic movies such as Clue.) But his characterizations grew on me...so much so that I was eager to hear this latest installment in the Dune prequel trilogy. Curry reads with gusto, obviously hitting his stride and feeling more comfortable with the characters. It was a pleasure listening to him. (I particularly enjoyed his humming and irritating portrayal of Hasimir Fenring...or the menacing growl that is Baron Harkonnen...or the belly-laugh, slap-you-on-the-back personality of the exiled ruler of IX, the elder Vernius.) As far as the book itself goes, House Harkonnen is a dark, violent and often disturbing tale that reveals just how evil the Harkonnens are. At times, I stepped out of my car (where I do all my audio book listening as I drive) feeling depressed after a particularly sadistic scene. But I clung to every word, eagerly awaiting the next time I'd take a drive so I could discover what happens next. True, House Harkonnen (or House Atreides, for that matter) doesn't have the depth and density of Frank Herbert's original work, but is that really so bad? Just as there's only one C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Ray Bradbury, there's only one Frank Herbert. But that doesn't mean Brian Herbert is doing his father a disservice. On the contrary, I think Frank would be proud of his son's efforts to tell a good tale and provide background that many have wondered about over the years. House Harkonnen offers many plot twists, sub plots and interweaving plot lines that require the listener to pay attention, but the pay off is worth it. The point of view often shifts from planet to planet and from character to character, unraveling (or weaving together as the case may be) plot threads in clever ways...all masterfully leading toward the culmination of the original Dune. One reviewer said there's nothing in Dune about Leto's son Victor. Granted, but the existence of Victor explains why Jessica felt moved by love to bear Leto a son. Nothing short of the events surrounding Victor would have made Jessica betray her Bene Gesserit mandate to bear a girl. Another reviewer said House Harkonnen isn't "really about anything." Not true. It reveals how and why Duke Leto Atreides got to be the man he was in Dune. It reveals why Baron Harkonnen's condition worsened without a cure. It reveals how Raban got his nickname "The Beast." (Trust me; it was a much-deserved name.) It reveals where Feyd-Rautha came from. (I keep picturing Sting as Feyd in the movie version.) It reveals the intricate plots within plots of the Bene Gesserit. It reveals the many schemes afoot among the Great Houses, and why Duke Leto was so protective of his son Paul. It reveals the origin of Gurney Halleck and how he and Duncan Idaho met and why they were so loyal to House Atreides later on. In short, House Harkonnen is "about" many things that interested me. Frankly, I'm surprised the reviewers weren't more kind. I thought Dune: House Harkonnen was a captivating (if often sordid) tale that kept me listening right through to the end. On one hand, knowing the end result (like what happens to everyone in Frank's original Dune) took some of the surprise away from House Harkonnen. Yet, other times knowing the end result made me think, "So THAT'S how that came about." I was impressed with the complexity and bravado of House Harkonnen, but didn't give it five stars because I thought a few of the plot lines were overly contrived...and a few of the violent scenes were gratuitous. Can the Harkonnens truly be that evil? Would Raban really kill his own...? (You'll have to read the book to find out!) I can't wait for the third installment...and hope Tim Curry reads that one as well.
Rating: 
Summary: It's all a matter of expectations.
Review: Perusing the reviews for both House Atreides and House Harkonnen it is easy to find a common current of disatisfaction. It has in fact been noted by all of the great Frank Herbert's readership that with his passing, so to went the genius behind the most imaginative and captivating science fiction series of all time. But isn't it lovely that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have accepted the all but impossible task of finishing the story? While neither H.A. or H.H. approach the mastery of the original Dune (deserving of 10 stars) or the philisophical complexity of God Emperor Dune (simply brilliant), they serve the story and the readers admirably by simply giving us a window into the Pre-Paul world of Arrakis. With familiar characters, explained mysteries, and a fast paced, entertaining gait, House Harkonnen is cause for the true Dune afficianado to give cheer. What's more, I recently read Dune again, and found that my further understadning of the characters gave the original series an additional depth which certainly isn't necessary, but nonetheless entirely pleasing. Naysayers will paint this book and H.A. as borrowed and simple, but in truth they reframe and carry on with all the reverenance and stylistic approximation they could possibly muster.
Rating: 
Summary: if you're going to write a prequel, keep your plot straight!
Review: I was disappointed in all the inconsistencies between these Prequel Dune novels and the original. They're so busy building up suspense that the facts mentioned in prior novels are ignored; how Jessica was bought by the Duke's men, not placed there by the Bene Gesserit, history of the Fremen per the encyclopedia that Herbert the original put out, and many other details. They seem intent on creating a story that is growing more divorced from the original plot line the closer it comes to converging in timeline.
Rating:
Summary: House Harkonnen: A story of contrasts
Review: First of all, you must read Dune: House Atriedes to make any sense out of this novel. If you enjoyed that book, you will enjoy this one. But it was very disappointing to me. Yes, it gave us the background on all the major characters and societies that are part of the Dune series. Yes, it was a fairly compelling story. Yes, I finished it in a weekend. However, I kept asking myself questions. Why do these brilliant people keep doing these stupid things? There were too many contrived things that were included just to keep the plot moving. For example, doesn't it seem reasonable that experienced Fremen know that when a major Coriolis storm approaches that they should start looking for shelter before it is too late? It was done only because it was a necessary condition for something else to happen. Why was the Baron stupid enough to go to the Bene Gesserit world to blackmail them and then let them get their hands on his no-ship? It doesn't match the experience, cunning, and subtlety that we expect of him. Why did the Harkonnens hide a spice hoard on Lankiveil and not have some way of knowing if it were tampered with? It was "...enough to purchase this planetary system many times over" and they didn't even lock the door? Buy the book and enjoy it. Just realize that it was written too quickly and the plot was not thought out well enough to be a great book like Dune.
Rating:
Summary: If only there were a Ghola Frank Herbert!
Review: I won't say the Dune "Prequel" Trilogy is entirely without merit. Any of the three books is an entertaining read for a cross-country train trip or a trans-Atlantic flight, like a Tom Clancy novel would be. But most people who know and love the "Dune" chronicles cannot help but be disappointed, even angry, at these pale imitations of the originals. The most striking lesson to be gleaned from these new Dune books is the difference between a truly gifted writer and a hack; between a serious work of imagination and literary skill, and airport lounge pulp fiction. I won't detail all of the failings of the narrative - the inconsistencies with the original series, the sometimes absurd plot development, the gaping holes and internal inconsistencies in the story. Other reviewers have dealt with these at some length. My biggest beef with these three books - all of them - is how poorly written they are (especially "House Corinno"). One would have hoped that more of Frank Herbert's literary ability would have found its way into his son's genes than apparently did. (Call the Bene Gesserit, quick! We need a new breeding program here!) The dialogue is often stilted, the character development shallow, and the structure fragmented, episodic and jerky. In contrast to Frank Herbert's elegant, even serene construction, Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have unfortunately adopted the hyperactive "jump-around" style so beloved of today's writers of second-rate entertainment fiction. Most disappointing to me was the shallowness of these new books. Frank Herbert's "Dune" books were books of IDEAS more than books about events and action. A great deal of their narrative was occupied with people's THOUGHTS, at least as much as with their actions. Brian Herbert's & Kevin Anderson's books, by contrast, are almost entirely devoid of thought, ideas or philosophy and are entirely preoccupied with who is doing what. At best, this makes their books entertaining, something with which to while away the hours. But they are simply not in the same league with the original Dune books. For the newcomer to the world of Dune, moving from "House Corinno" to "Dune" will be like moving from Harold Robbins to Steinbeck or Hemmingway. Reading my way through these three books, I frequently found myself wishing that one of the Tleilaxu had been around when Frank Herbert died, to grow a Ghola Herbert in their axolotl tanks. These prequels might have really been something in the hands of a gifted writer.
Rating:
Summary: Good reading
Review: Any Dune book is an enjoyable read, especially if one is not a diehard Frank Herbert fan hellbent on picking apart his son's efforts to continue the series. I enjoyed this book, even if it does get rather slow at times, and keep meaning to pick up the others to finish off the Dune series and haven't gotten around to it.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps it moving
Review: This book keeps the prequel plot moving at warp speed (or even through foldspace). While it still lacks Frank Herberts sheer brilliance, it has alot more detail on the culture.
Rating:
Summary: Chapter after chapter of nothing
Review: Question number one: This series of books is titled House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino. Usually a title gives some indication as to the content and focus of a book. So far with the first two, this has not been the case. The foci are all over the map, dealing with all three houses. The first one dealt more with Corrino and Harkonnen than Atreides (yet was named after the latter); the second one seems to focus more on Atreides than any one else. Confused yet? Wait until you read these books! Question number two: How many repetitive, meaningless phrases can you think of? Here are a few of my favorites that get over used in this book: "the room smelled of lubricants and chemicals," "the tart coolness of the cidrit juice," "an archipelago of rocks," (wait an archipelago is a series of small islands...I guess it's better not to ask), "the oily liquid." It gets even better when you are continually reminded of people thinking and talking about their "plans within plans" and "tricks within tricks" and "wheels within wheels" and "plots within plots" I don't want to read dialogue where people say that they are clever, I want them to be clever. Oh, here's an original and clever description of a fat man direct from the book: "the roly-poly appearance." Let's not forget the timeless passages that put us in mind of a future more than 10,000 years from today, where they will still use lovely phrases like "jury-rigged systems." Question number three: What are some of the silliest things you can think of? How about raseals, clabsters, whale fur, or an elecran (a water/electricity elemental)? Question number four: How well can you represent diversity? Here we get to see each diverse culture simplified down to one export: whale fur, spice; or one biome: forests, swamps, desert, ocean, islands. Arrakis has been purported to be a oddity in the universe, having a most extreme and individual climate. Might we safely assume that every other world could spawn at least half as much diversity as our earth? Herbert junior and Anderson are trying too hard to give us as many new and different exotic worlds that the entire book (and the prequel cycle) loses its focus, and is especially lacking in the core of the story because, well there is no core of the story. The book is like layers of an onion, and you can peel back layer after layer, but what you are left with when you get to the last layer is nothing. The characters lack any real personality. They all continuously talk about the same things. Every thought, decision, or concern either involves a reference to the "thinking machines" and "the Butlerian Jihad" or refers to the "dirty Tleilaxu" or revolves around "the Bene Gesserit witches" and "their damnable breeding programs." All the main characters seem to have much the same opinions about these and other metaphysical issues that you would be amazed that they are supposed to be in conflict with each other. Sure they take different courses of action (the Harkonnens kill for pleasure, the Atreides try to make choices that reflect an honor bound system) but they all have they same opinions about the greater universe at large, and there is no uniqueness among them that can be attributable to varying cultures. Even the Fremen seem to have a much wider grasp on the workings of the entire Imperium than was ever suggested in the first three Dune books of Frank Herbert. If everyone knows everything, where is the conflict? It's a joke the way they describe how Rabban began to be called "Beast Rabban" and just as trivial to learn how Leto would first be called "Leto the Just." Again, as with their other two books I have reviewed, they rush through every scene, every event, every important moment, and everything becomes snippets of the real meat, and we never get any real meat. Look at the specificity of this quote: "He applied chemicals to his face and hands to leach the remaining color from his already pale flesh, and smeared wrinkling substances on his face to give himself the gray-skinned, shriveled appearance of a Tleilaxu overlord." Couldn't they do a little research and find a more specific agent that would make your face turn gray/pale? Nope...let's just call them chemicals...and "wrinkling substances" to make your skin wrinkle...as if it would have an immediate effect anyway...when you read lines like this, you realize just how amateur these writers are... There is also no continuity from chapter to chapter. They can't even remember what they wrote previously and we get more repetition where we don't need it. The first time we come to Dominic Vernius' hiding hole, it is described with rugs strewn about to make it feel more like home. Three years later we are back in the same place, and the writers feel compelled to write that it "is strewn with rugs to make it feel more like home." Frank Herbert originally intended to write Dune as an ecological treatise based upon the character of Pardot Kynes. When he realized that he didn't have a compelling story, he approached the issue from a different angle and we got Dune. These two writers should have realized that if Frank didn't want to write these prequels because there was no core conflict, then they either should have avoided the subject like the plague, or they should have created a core conflict. Instead they have given us many short and rather meaningless conflicts, conflicts that do more to dilute and distort the Dune universe than enhance it. Chapter after chapter of nothing...little bits and pieces of little meaningless events. There is no grand arc to the story, no grand scheme to any of the writing. Question number five: Why should you read this book? Well, if your life has no purpose and you just want to fill it up with meaningless drivel, here are 700+ pages of it. Or maybe you are just a true sicko like this reviewer, and feel the need to read everything Dune out of respect for the original series by the Elder Herbert. Either way, enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Very good attempt at a Dune book...
Review: The book itself is very good, and the characters are very Dune-ish, but that doesn't make it Dune. If you're a hardcore fan of Dune, then its worth a read, but newcomers should not take this as a true example of what is so special about the Dune series.
Rating:
Summary: Dune House Harkonnen
Review: This book was confusing in the beginning. It was only confusing because I didn't read the first part of the trilogy: Dune House Atradies. As I got to understand the story of the book It started to get more exciting. The book has many main characters. They are: Duke Leto Atredies, Duncan Idaho, Baaron Harkonnen, Abulurd Harkonnen (Baaron's step brother), and Liet-Kynes. Duke Leto is the leader of the Atredies house. He is a good leader and his people love him. He takes care of Pince Rhomber Vernius, the leader of House Vernius. Rhombur's Home planet Ix was taken over by the Bene Tlilax sending Rhombur into exile. Duncan Idaho is a kid who goes to the Ginaz school to learn to be a swordmaster. Baaron Harkonnen is the very cruel leader of house Harkonnen. He has a rare disease that makes his once attractive figure gain a lot of weight. Abulurd Harkonnen is the step brother of Baaron. He lives with his wife on a distant planet. He is unlike his step brother. He also doesn't take advantage of his power. In fact, he doesn't use it at all. And last is Liet-Kynes. He is a fremen and is the son of the imperial planetologist Pardot Kynes. In the book he goes throught man rough adventures with his blood brother Warrick.
I would recommend this book to anybody interested in science fiction and the Dune series.
| 
