Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Dune Messiah

Top positive review

A great sophomore entry into the Dune epic.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2023

A great sophomore entry into the Dune epic. I don't understand why die-hards supposedly hated it, except for the fact that it moves on from hero-worship to the reality of the corruption of power. In that sense, some of the exoticism of the original is lost, but here we find human beings acting like human beings, foibles and all. Yet for all his attempts at careful character development, Dune remains in the sphere of myth. Its characters function more like archetypes, and in a sense they are merely catalysts for a very intricate plot that revolves around them, but in a sense is not about them. The Dune books remind me of Sophocles' plays or Hamlet, where the human drama is writ in sweeping brushstrokes.

3 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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Seth

Mass market paperback version

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 6, 2023

Three stars is for this particular version of the book, not for the book itself. Amazon seems to only sell the mass market paperback version of the Dune books. I prefer the larger paperback editions as they are easier to read and look better. I bought the paperback version of the first Dune book at Barnes and Noble and was disappointed to receive the smaller mass market paper back version of Dune Messiah. They don't look good when sitting on a bookshelf together because of the different sizes. The mass market versions are about 4" across while the normal paperbacks are 5.4" across. The heights are also different, mass market being about 7.4" and normal paper back being an even 8". If you want a particular version, be careful of where you buy it.

8 people found this helpful

24,496 total ratings, 1,045 with reviews

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From the United States

Name of Human

A great sophomore entry into the Dune epic.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2023

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3 people found this helpful

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PraetorXyn

Practically an extended epilogue to Dune

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 1, 2023

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Dune Messiah is largely an extended epilogue to Dune, or an extended prelude to Children of Dune, depending on point of view. It serves as a bridge, and deals heavily with the consequences of Paul's actions, as well as his struggle against fate.

A recommended read.

One person found this helpful

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Anna O'Leary

Captivating

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2023

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Having read the first book and a review of the sequel written by Herbert’s son, I felt some trepidation that I would be disappointed with Messiah. I wasn’t. If you enjoyed Dune (book 1), this second book in the series is every bit as good. The first few pages, although a little slow, give way to a suspenseful development of the plot that doesn’t let up. There are many timeless beautiful philosophical musings that you will want to highlight to reflect on later and apply to our world today.

2 people found this helpful

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Colt

required

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 11, 2023

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20 or more words required 20 or more words required 20 or more words required 20 or more words required
2 more unique

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RR1234

Great Book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 13, 2023

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Book came in good condition, the binding was slightly cracked. A great add to my bookshelf!

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Hugo Viera

Amazing edition

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 5, 2023

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The materials used, the design, all of it very good. Great purchase

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Joe G.

While reading this book my mind is drawn and quartered a thousand times.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 18, 2020

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Frank Herbert is something else. While reading this book my mind is drawn and quartered a thousand times. It is pushed and pulled this way and that. I am like a child grasping for meaning, knowing it is there but just out of reach. On the edge of understanding, I sit, in awe of what might be on the other side. Comprehension, just out of reach and yet in the back of my mind, it has been there the whole time. The words are new but they make sense, like some dream that tries to incorporate elements that seem, at first, to be disconnected, only to discover later, maybe after a day or two of contemplation, that the meaning was there amidst the confusion. Then, he brings you back. Frank Herbert, the man that sent you down the rabbit hole is there holding your hand and makes everything clear.

Dune Messiah is the second in the Dune series and it is a wonderful rollercoaster. One minute I'm trying to follow the story and figure out what is happening, what might happen, and then the next minute I'm lost in the jargon and intrigue of a world I barely know. The internal ruminations of the characters, the dialogue, and the world that Frank Herbert created is so thoroughly it's own that it is like turning on a documentary from an alien world at an alien time. As much as it is unfamiliar it is just familiar enough to cause a fury of excitement and suspense. The intrigue is palpable and enticing. It keeps you going and gives you hope.

In this, the second story about the desert planet known as Dune, we take up the story of Paul Atreides, AKA Muad 'Dib AKA Usul, AKA the ruler of the known universe. The book starts about twelve years after the end of the first Dune book. We find that with the help of violence, religious ideology, his prescient sister Alia, his Fremen soldiers, and his monopoly over the invaluable resource known as melange, Paul has brought his form of justice and leadership to all. He is known by some as a god and by others as a devil. He is not unaware of this duality and is plagued by his own doubt about the legacy that he is creating.

Paul tackles internal and external threats to his dynasty but with his powers of foresight, he seems to be one step ahead of his enemies. While he attempts to root out the spies in his midst he is also dealing with the matter of his succession plan. Chani, his concubine and true love, is pregnant and there are many who want to take advantage of her vulnerability and Paul's potential weakness toward her. He knows who to trust but he doesn't always know if he can trust himself and by the end, the true plot is revealed. Will Paul fall to the wiles of his enemies or will he continue his violent conquest? Read to find out!

18 people found this helpful

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Providential

Messiah, maybe less Dune

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 27, 2020

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Messiah is a bit of a dividing book, but then again so are all the books that followed Frank Herbert's Dune. Dune is an all-time sci-fi classic, unimpeachable thanks to its vast influence over other a broad range of media. Messiah? Not as much.

What is Messiah about? Set 12 years after Dune, Messiah is about the world Paul-Muad'dib set in motion in the first book. You see the ramifications of his decisions, and you get quite a bit of pontificating about the nature of fate. Can the fortune-tellers of Dune really affect the future, or are they only catching glimpses of a destiny that already awaits them? That's what this book is really about.

What makes Messiah different? Messiah takes the political subtext that was a big part of Dune, and elevates that aspect of the story until it nearly excludes the other portions. You're not going to get the same big battles, the fascinating technology, the brand-new ecologies. A lot of fans of Dune were really into that book book because of those far-future technological aspects, so they find this book strangely lacking. In Messiah you get what is almost an alternate-universe political treatise with oblique only references to the technologies of the first book. It's one part philosophy, one part politics, and really only a splash of far-future science fiction for flavor.

Is Messiah good? I think it's so-so. At half the length of Dune, it's certainly not as epic in scope. Dune was not slow in pace, so that page count really does mean something. Messiah is by comparison just a short treatise. It's not bad, but it really doesn't expand on the Dune universe in a way that I was hoping for. I love the politics, but Herbet really skimped on the rest of the book getting there. If you padded out this book to Dune's length by inserting those action scenes back in, I might like it more. Repeatedly having characters wander from room to room pontificating while offhandedly mentioning the genocide of dozens of planets at a go does leave room for some exploration into that latter part of the story.

Is Messiah worth reading? I'm in the process of re-reading the Dune novels before the upcoming movie, so at the moment I'm solidly in the camp of saying it's fine to stop with Dune. I have vague memories of Messiah and Children and Chapterhouse, and I found the whole thing underwhelming. People often say God Emperor is worth the trip, but having been so long since I read it and obviously since that book didn't stick with me, I'm not sure I agree. Maybe my mood will change after going through the series again but from where I stand - either stop at Dune, or buckle in for the whole series. Messiah is definitely more along the lines of the rest of the series. There's a lot of politics and philosophy ahead, so maybe that will help you decide if you want to go on.

Overall: Messiah is okay. There's a reason people only talk about Dune, and not its sequel books. This is in stark contrast to something like Lord of the Rings, where people almost exclusively talk about the series (or at least the main trilogy) as a whole. Messiah isn't bad, but it also differs from its predecessor in fundamental ways. There's less action, less technology, and more philosophy. If that's your bag, maybe Messiah is for you.

204 people found this helpful

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Alan

Clean copy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

No markings or damage.

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Amazon Customer

Wow

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 3, 2023

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Such a great observance of leadership. I recommend this book to lovers of Sci fi as well as philosophy and religion. There's a lot to learn from this book.

3 people found this helpful

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5 star		59%
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3 star		11%
2 star		2%
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