Rating: 
Summary: It's good...not as good as 'The Master'..but good
Review: After reading the multitude of reviews here I felt compelled to write my own and lend support to the novel as a whole. Living in a country where 'instant gratification' is a must has its down-side. I think that this is where the original Dune had its problems when it first came onto the literary scene as well. The original Dune was not well received because it delved into the human psyche of people 10,000 years into the future and delt with uncomfortable characters in an incredibly textured universe. Dune did not receive critical acclaim until years later when a following of people looked it over and said, "hey, this is an outstanding novel."Do I think that the same will happen with House Harkonnen? No. But let me tell you why. D: HH is a history of characters in the Dune universe written for the current readership that is amongst the populace (not the 1960's populace in which the original came out). It is speedy, dives us into the history of the original characters, throws plots at us that develop into the original schemes in the Dune novel and does it all for the current 'instant gratification' audience of readers that is out there. Do I recommend Dune: House Harkonnen? Definitely. But don't expect Dune. It's not a 1960's novel, it's a 2000 novel. Read it from that standpoint and you won't be disappointed. I guarantee it.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorely Disappointed
Review: Having waited until several others had alreay reviewed this novel, I wish to weave together several of those themes. I agree that one of most appealing aspects of the original is its subtlety, introspection and inner dialoque, as well as the sweeping nature of the ideas and themes. That is why it is so easy to read Dune over and over and over again year after year and never tire from doing so. Its also why it is so hard to turn it into a movie. All of that is noticeably absent from this book. Moreover, having read the original so many times, and having House Harkonnen fall so far short of the original, its easy to see why it is so diappointing. Moreover, for those of us who have read the original in such depth, it is shocking to see the outright errors and implausibilities in this book. Dune clearly contradicts the manner in which Jessica arrives at the Atreides household (which is a major undercurrent in the relationship between Jessica and Leto in Dune). How could Liet and Gurney have met (in this novel) and then Gurney seemingly have no recollection of Liet when Leto and Paul tour spice manufacturing later with him on Arrakis (in Dune)? Why does the ShadoutMapes appear so unaccustomed to a Bene Gesserit (Jessica, in Dune) when she was the housekeeper for Countess Fenring (in this novel)? Moreover, given how well the GBs communicate, how does Jessica have none of the information about the Fremen that Countess Fenring appears to have acquired in this novel? Most troubling: in a novel of such depth and detail, how is it possible that Leto never once suggests in Dune that he had any other son than Paul? These are just the ones that come to mind. There were so many more, that even the trivialties became at best a distraction and at worst a total detraction from the novel. Moreover, all of these seem to derive from the compulsion to tie together every single character and event from the original. I think a novel of greater depth and ideas and less effort to give equal time to every single character in the original would have suffered fewer such errors and would have come closer to the gift of the orginal. I guess the bottom line is what others have suggested: if you are looking for a worthy equal to Dune, forget it. If you are looking for a fast read in the SF genre and want something with "Dune" in the title rather than "Star Wars," maybe this is what you are looking for.
Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable continuation of the plot, but inconsistent....
Review: First the positive: like many "Dune" fans, I am pleased to be able to contnue to revel in the saga. Certainly, at least part of the initial positive regard is based upon the authors' attempt to be respectfull of the legend. The very fact that this, and its predecessor "House Atreides", are "prequels", provide a rich literary medium. There is the thrill of having one's curiosity satisfied concerning a multitude of characters and events. Further, the authors are developing their own style, especially with action scenes and the description of "atrocities". The book is fluid and, in my opinion, is best read in relatively large bites of at least 30-40 pages at a time. As to the novel's weakness: the authors' seem to have never encountered an event from the original "Dune" that they did not feel compelled to either explain or contrive a coincidence. Accordingly, the art of subtlety has been all but discarded. Not every character must be resurrected or have a literary matrix formed around them. Sometimes, those elements left to the imagination are the most alluring. One aspect is most disturbing: there are a few outright errors of plot, i.e. lack of continuity, that are quite evident. They involve such basic aspects of the original novel (Dune), that even the casual fan would notice. One hint: Jessica came to the Duke's household by what mechanism? Compare the original and this novel. There are other errors. Most surprising. Even so, this is a worthwhile expenditure of your time and, without question, the prequel to another sequel.
Rating:
Summary: An improved Sophomore outing for Herbert (Jr) and Andersen
Review: After the deeply disappointing Dune: House Atreides I was pleasantly surprised by Dune: House Harkonnen. While niether of the two Dune prequels can hold a candle to even the weakest of the original books, Dune: House Harkonnen felt like true trip back to the Duniverse. Gone were the cookie-cutter characterisations and pat dialogue of the first book. In this book, there is a harder, harsher feel that comes through in almost all of the chapters and is more reminiscent of the original series. The Baron and Rabban are truly vile and reprehensible as opposed to moustache-twirling clods (as they were in House Atreides). Jessica is fairly accurately portrayed as are Duncan (whom, we are told, loathes gholas in an interesting bit of foreshadowing), Piter, Thufir, and Gurney Halleck. Leto and Rhombur are still somewhat oversimplified for unclear reasons. Sadly missing (again) are all of the internal monologues that really made the Dune books stand out. For the most part dovetailing with facts and events presented in Dune, the only oversight is the meeting of Gurney and Liet Kynes (which actually did not take place until many years later). Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson seem to have taken some of the criticism of Dune: House Atreides to heart, and for this I commend them. They have left themselves room for one or possibly two more prequels, and I hope they do write them and continue to refine their efforts at the same time. Overall, very well done for what it is: A book set in the Duniverse but not written by Frank Herbert.
Rating:
Summary: Confused
Review: Did I miss something or does it seem that in "Dune" Gurney and Liet meet for the first time. Liet seems very annoyed by Gurney in the scene where Liet takes Leto, Paul, and Gurney to see a spice harvesting operation. I am not sure why House Harkonnen would include plot that has Gurney and Liet meet and work together as smugglers.
Rating:
Summary: Not enough scope
Review: When Frank Herbert wrote Dune and the following novels, there was a sense of scope, a feeling of epic, which is unfortunately missing from this current series. Maybe it is the restrictions of playing in someone else's sandbox, but there isnt enough to make you feel that the characters you are reading today will become those that come to life in Dune. Some situations, story lines seem to be just added for dramatic effect then thrown away without any remorse. I hope the series matures into something close to it's parent books and the writers find that sense of scale before tackling the last book after the prequels. Nice try but just no cigar.
Rating:
Summary: If your new to Dune, don't start with the prequels
Review: Simply said, the characters in the original Dune would beat the hell out the prequel characters. This new Dune series is being carried by the strength of the original. If you're a Dune fan, it's better than nothing; but, as been pointed in other reviews, House Harkonnen can't compare to the complexity of the original Dune series. Still, I can't wait for the next book to come out.
Rating:
Summary: No five stars.....yet!
Review: I finished reading House Harkonnen today. It was raining at my house when I put the book down, an ironic twist I thought. The only reason that I didn't give this book five stars was because: #1 Dune: House Corrino is due out sometime next year and I don't want to look like I'm trying to bribe anyone into believing that this is the best book they'll ever read. #2 Frank Herbert is dead and no amount of study, insight or writing can replace his singular vision that was Dune. But even so, this is a great book. It is formatted for todays readership (with short chapters and only the vital information needed to keep you reading)and it keeps the characters in the original Dune novels growing into what they will soon become. Most notably, I would commend these authors for the wonderful job of planting 'seeds' into our minds (some of them answered in this book and others still waiting to be seen). I enjoyed reading certain sections --- especially those pertaining to Gurney Halleck and House Vernius --- that later came back to smack the reader in the head ("Oh my god! So that's what happened to Gurney and that's how House Vernius lost Ix"). I have noted that several 'reviewers' here have commented on the lack of structure in the novel. I fail to see that. Quite the contrary I see remarkable structure and can't wait to see where some of this is going. Some also have said that the writing is 'below par' or simply 'not that good.' Let us remember that Frank Herbert created this time and place and Brian Herbert has all of his notes. If anyone knows how and what to write about, it is surely the son of the Great Man. I have enjoyed reading it and intend to finish off the series as soon as House Corrino comes out. Then I intend to go back and read the original six Dune novels all over again because, let's face it, you just can't have enough spice in your life!
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding, repetitive, mechanical
Review: When I first read "Dune," I could barely put it down. I recently read "Forge of God" in little more than one sitting, while on a cross-country airline flight. With "House Harkonnen," I find myself engaged in a tiresome chore that I have to specifically set aside time to pursue, usually at bedtime, and its somniferous properties are nearly a match for the pharmaceuticals my spouse takes. I pursue it out of dedication to the Dune series, not for the innate enjoyment of reading this tome -- if there is any beyond the pleasures of discovering details about the histories of the main characters. But even that thin appeal is losing its luster - I feel that I could have invented and spun a more imaginative and better-constructed yarn about Dune than these two have attempted. Or for that matter, I could get that kind of enjoyment from simply reading the "Dune Encyclopedia" without having to slog through the poor writing in this book. The writing is repetitive - for example, "pock-faced" is an adjective used twice within three paragraphs. They suffer from a marked poverty of phrase, these two. There's many examples, just flip open to just about any page. The assasination scene at Fenrig's dinner table in Arrakeen had me looking back over some paragraphs to see if there was something I missed, the scene having been described in such a cursory fashion. I second the objection to the "elecran" chapter. That had me rolling my eyes and wondering what relevance this would have to the future plot. Not surprisingly, it had precious little. If you're a Dune fan, you'll buy the book and you'll read it. If not, start with Dune instead. -Michael Pelletier.
Rating:
Summary: Not literature, but enjoyable nonetheless
Review: I have read all of the Dune novels written by (not Brian) Herbert. The prequels written by his son and K.J.A. are not of the originals' (meaning, the series written by F. Herbert) quality. The Dune series was a masterpiece, and its "prequels" should be considered nothing more than written entertainment--as that's exactly what they are. Unlike the originals, don't expect to gain philosophical knowledge and concepts of social, environmental, economical, theological, and epistemological views. When reading the Dune series, each book of Herbert's carried with it a certain amount of expectations, and for the most part, each book met those expectations--and in some cases, exceeded them. The Dune novels written by this author duo (so far) should not be held to the same expectations one would expect of Frank Herbert's writing. Instead, I would suggest holding these new novels to the quality you would expect from, let's say, a well written Star Wars novel. And what a coincidence, K.J.A. is well known for writing exactly those types of novels! Like any well written Star Wars novel--mostly all written by K.J.A. himself, as I have had many horrid experiences reading Star Wars novels written by other authors--there are small points of decaying story quality that turn certain parts of D:HH into nothing more than a guilty pleasure. For example, there's a scene where an elemental monster, called an elecran, attacks a character's boat out at sea. To me, this completely switched the science-fiction paradigm of the novel into one of fantasy. In my perception, that chapter concerning the elecran had no major impact, let alone a minor impact, on the plot of the novel. It baffles me why that whole chapter wasn't edited out entirely. There were also some editing problems throughout the novel. Commonly, paragraphs describing a character's mindset usually reiterated knowledge and information that had already been reiterated previously, and in most cases, previously previous. This could be a problem resulting from the fact that there were two authors writing the novel, and they accidently stumbled over each other's content. In any case, it was still annoyingly unneeded, and should have been edited out. And of course, you cannot forget about Duke Leto's son, Victor . . . From what you would gather from D:HH, it would seem that Victor had a profound impact on Duke Leto's life, yet in Dune (written by F.H.) there is no mention of Victor. I applaud the use of original characters to add depth to a popular and established fictional universe, such as Star Wars or Dune, but when writing prequels this technique becomes a tricky business. When K.J.A. created Grand Adirimal Thrawn for the Star Wars universe it worked because it happened in a "sequel," and in sequels you can add momentous, universe-shaping characters; these characters will not undermine the integerty of what has already been established because they come *after* what is already known. In a prequel, however, the author should be careful what types of characters he can bring to the roster, paying careful attention that they do not undermine the character tapestry and development that is already established in the latter novels. For example, if you take into account Leto's personality and the impact that this Victor child supposedly had on him, you whould assume that in Dune, in instances where Leto interacted with Paul, that there would have been some mention of his first, dead son, Victor. Obviously, there was not, and so this liberty cannot be logically taken without offending the reader who is knowledgeable of the source material. But this liberty was taken, and because of this, I am not quite sure that the authors have succeeded with the addition of the Victor character. Despite these minor flaws of story-telling and editing, the book was a decent enough page-turner. It was also better than the duo's first attempt at a prequel, D:HA. I look forward to reading the next novel.
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