![]() Key Details Title: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Year of Publication: 1965 Goodreads - Link I recently discovered this book from a friend and was simply blown away by the story and its themes. While on the surface, it may seem like a simple adventure story with many classic tropes of a Sci-fi novel that follows the typical Heroes journey/ Coming-of-age story, it's underlying themes of the Humans Hubris when it comes to technology, danger of mixing religion & politics, loyalty and the dangers of hero worship etc. are rich and intricate. If your unfamiliar with the book, the first few pages seem a bit daunting with its peculiar terms, Esoteric dreams etc. but quite soon the novel picks up the pace and is hard to put down. The book ends a bit abruptly, but it definitely leaves you wanting more which is amply supplies by the myriad of sequels, prequels and spinoffs! Space Opera? The novel depicts a universe where different families (Refers to as Houses) hold different planets as their Fiefdoms with each vying for power. This backdrop of the novel with its mix of power struggles, political intrigue, assassinations seems more akin to GRRM’s Game of Thrones than a Space Opera. The novel bears similarities to the fall of the Roman/ Byzantine Empire where the increasing decadence of the Emperor and overconfidence of his elite troops leads to them disregarding the threat posed by the Fremen: The desert people of Araakis who they dismiss as unsophisticated and primitive. The role of Paul; the main protagonist of the novel who goes among the Fremen and the role he plays in rallying them under a common banner seems to echo the actions of T.E ('Lawrence of Arabia') in the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Unlike more mainstream books in the genre, the focus of the is very much on the interactions between various characters and their motives which reminds me of Ursala Le Guin's Hainish cycle novels like the left hand of darkness. The novel is written in a third person perspective while also providing a glimse into the thoughts of different characters which shapes and changes the readers views on different characters as the novel progresses. However, having said that, the novel does have grand themes such as destiny, the heroes's struggle and its ensemble cast etc. has clearly influenced more popular works of Sci-fi such as Star Wars and Star trek. Arrakis - Dune - Desert Planet At the centre of the novel, is the desert planet of Arrakis which is home to the Spice; the most valuable resource in the Galaxy. With it's treacherous sand dunes, sandstorms that reach speeds of 700 km's and Giant Sandworms the planet is a character unto itself and poses a formidable challenge. But no difficulty is a as fearful and ever present as the shortage of water. The novel manages to capture this aspect very vividly with some of the customs that are followed by the natives of the planet. A particularly poignant scene is when Paul; the protagonist of the novel sheds tears for the person he slew and the people are in awe that "He gives moisture to the dead" This focus on ecology is something that makes the novel unique and remains a pressing problem for our own world more than half a century own since the publication of the novel. This reflects the author, Frank Herberts admiration for the work of Ecologists and the work of such people. The author holds up the hope that rather than accepting the harsh reality of the Desert Planet, that there is hope for the future which while difficult can be achieved through a change in attitude. "The Historical system of mutual pillage and extortion stops here on Arrakis. You cannot go on forever stealing what you need without regard to those who come after" - Pardot Kynes, First Planetologist of Arrakis Technology 'Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of the human mind' - O.C Bible While the novel is hopeful that humans can bring about change to better the world, as a Sci-fi novel, it has its fare share of technology and warns of the Hubris of humans with respect to it. The novel is particularly unique as the typical technologies we associate with works in this genre such as Laser guns (Referred to as Lasguns), 'Thinking Computers' (A.I) and 'conscious Machines' (Robots) are a thing of the past due to the war that occurred between Humans and Machines. Instead the novel describes unique technologies which are human centric such as Mentats who are 'Human' computers, and the Space Guild's 'Navigators'. Other technologies invented by the Fremen such as Stillsuits are described very vividly and feel more grounded in reality and add colour to the novel. Religion "When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong - faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's too rush" - Bene Gesserit proverb The novel also warns of the dangers of mixing religion with politics. While on the one hand Religion is seen as a strength as in the case of the Fremen who demonstrate loyalty, feelings of community and a rejection of corruption which makes them a force to be reckoned with, the blind loyalty and fanaticism is viewed as a negative aspect of it. While Paul is able to attain his goals with a mix of strategic cunning and loyalty from his followers who believe him to be their Messiah, he is saddened by the fact that mixing of religion and politics seem inevitable and unavoidable as revealed to him in prescient visions of the future. He also laments the loss of a close friend who changes from a friend to a blind follower & worshipper. The author also shows how this aspect changes Paul himself who as he embraces his messianic role increasingly becomes more remote and difficult to relate to as he sheds his humanity to take on the role he chooses to become. The Bottom line Overall with its mix of politics, religion, technology, Ecological concerns and the heroes struggle, Dune makes for a compelling novel to read as a stand-alone novel or as the first step in exploring the world of Dune further in the many novels, tv-shows and games its has spawned. I would highly recommend this novel. The Spice must flow! Quotes "We are here to remove a primary weapon from the hands of disputant religions. That weapon - the claim to possession of the one and only revelation". - Ecumenical meetings "A leader, you see, is one of the things that distinguishes a mob from a people. He maintains the level of individuals. Too few individuals, and a people revert to a mob" - Stilgar on Leadership "The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future." - from "collected sayings of Muad'Dib" by the Princess Irulan "Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase... The human questions is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of system is possible for those who do survive" - Pardot Kynes “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - The Litany Against Fear
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![]() Quick Facts Title: Jam Fruit Tree (Book #1 of the Burgher trilogy) Author: Carl Muller Genre: Historical Fiction, Humor Publication year: 1993 Further Details - Good Reads "They accepted Centuries ago, that Sri Lanka was their land. There was never any thought that they could, if things got bad, pack and hide back to Holland or to wherever they could trace back to. They were at home and where else could they 'put a party' and enjoy life as much as home?" Carl Muller on the Burghers of Sri Lanka The First Book in the Burgher Trilogy is also one of Carl Muller's most famous work which describes the adventures and misadventures of the Von Bloss's and their extended families and friends. The writer himself refers to the novel as a work of "Faction"; a work of fiction that sails very close to the fact and is believed to have partly been inspired by the authors own life. The book describes the tumultuous lives of the Von Bloss family and their many extended family and friends through the period set in a time of transition in Sri Lanka. Like the Jam Fruit Tree that grows in the Von Bloss's garden, the Burgher's depicted in the novel are a hardy, fertile lot who like the tree cannot be tamed but nevertheless bear sweet fruit. In very vivid prose, key events of their lives including a Burgher funeral, Wedding, Christmas Party among many others in a very evocative way. The process of making the Christmas Cake ahead of the Christmas Season is particularly visceral and reveals the talent of the author. "Heaven, it seemed to him, was operating some sort of a laundering service." "That Viva making noises as if someone smashing his toes with rice-pounder. getting salvation, it seems. Lamb is washing his soul. Must be paining like Hell." As highlighted above, the key strength of the books humor lies in the prose of the book which is heavily interjected with heavy use of Sri Lankan Idioms and Vernacular phrases, swear words that is distinctly Sri Lankan. As the novel primarily depicts the life of working class Burghers, some of the language is somewhat more pedestrian to reflect this, but nevertheless enhances the humor of the novel. Apart from the humor in the language itself, the novel also describes some hilarious situations like the government agents futile attempt to take away Sonnaboy's furniture in Kadugannawa. But the book isn't all humor as it doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the time such as Colourism, racism and patriarchy to put it more mildly. The language at times becomes quite crass and direct, possibly to contrast these issues with the more colourful descriptions used in the rest of the novel. While not as grim as Carl Muller's other work 'Colombo' which is far more bleak, the novel nevertheless does not shy away from highlighting these issues. The novel is set during the early 20th century during the British Colonial period and the author manages to bring to life in vivid prose the facets of life in Colombo at the turn of the Century. The novel describes facets of life at that time including schools, Universities, the origin of road names etc. that continue to endure today and which lends the novel its authenticity Carl Muller also praises the amazing tolerance of the burgher community. In the words of the author "Sri Lankan Burghers are as Strident as the most Strident Sinhala Native and in a sense most wholly embraces the Island mentality of 'Eat, drink and be Merry'. The author attributes the peaceful coexistence the Burghers have managed to maintain while integrating with the fabric of Sri Lankan culture to their ability to fit in no matter the circumstances. The author laments the ethnic conflict and the situation that has forced many Burghers to reluctantly leave their homeland. Overall anyone looking for a somewhat exaggerated glimpse into the past and as to what life was like in colonial Colombo should check out this novel. |
AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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