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Why I am Not Rushing toWatch the New Dune Movie
All of my friends seem to be tremendously excited about the Dune movie. Villeneuve’s adaptation, perhaps because it had the sense to split the massive tome into multiple volumes, is apparently the one everyone has been waiting for.
It’s supposedly brilliant and very true to the book.
Which is exactly why I don’t plan on watching it.
My Problems With Dune…
…go way back. To be honest, on a first reading, I found the book to be a dull, excessively long Lawrence of Arabia rip off.
I tried again when I was a bit older and no. I bounce right off this book in multiple directions. This is not the kind of reaction I had to N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth, which I acknowledge is an excellent book and may try again to see if I can get past the second person segments.
My reaction to Dune was much more “Why is everyone so in love with this book? I don’t get it.”
It’s not the only classic which doesn’t do much for me. I find Stranger in a Strange Land to be a very weak Heinlein (although not as bad as I Will Fear No Evil, a rare DNF for me). Fred Pohl’s voice and style sets my teeth on edge.
But my issues with Dune run deep and I had to do some analysis and thought.