[book] Children of Dune
Jun. 10th, 2009 12:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grimorieI've changed the look of my LJ. Much as I love my Crews/Reese header I only end up depressed whenever I look at it. I also felt it was time to change the layout.
Plus I like this new one, its shiny and new and v. clean looking!
---
queenofthorns reminded me how much I loved Children of Dune.
I first read Dune when I was in high school and it left an impression on me because it wasn't done as a Robert Jordan style fantasy and the politics in Dune seemed a lot more complex and believable than RJ's Wheel of Time.
Reading Dune had been an interesting experience and I remember how Jessica's parting words were like a punch to the gut for me.
Not because it was shocking but because for some reason the words resonated with me.
Thinking back, this was the moment when I started to like Irulan I felt sorry for her. I liked Chani well enough but I never really got the handle on her character and even though we only just 'met' Irulan at the end of the book we learn a little something about her through the course of the novel.
After a few years Frank Herbert's Dune aired and I was impressed because of how faithful the miniseries was to the book. The changes they did, I liked. I liked that Irulan's role in the miniseries was expanded. In this version, it made sense. Also, I liked Paul and Irulan's brief scene at the party near the beginning of the series. They had chemistry and when they started flirting I thought how interesting it could have been if things went with that direction. Also, Irulan countered Paul's whining with snark and good humor. Points for that, I felt that people around Paul indulged him in his brooding too much.
Of course, after their marriage Irulan could no longer do that to Paul.
Dune was cheesetastic in almost every way, have I mentioned the hats? Because Dune had a lot of funny hats!
(It also never fails to leave me in stitches that the actor who played Feyd-Rautha is the same actor as the Middleman!)
Then the sequel came and while the special FX is still a little cheesy the production values were way up and the actors they got were for the miniseries were really good from James McAvoy, Jessica Brooks, Edward Atterton, Alice Kirge and, of course, my favorite, Julia Cox.
IMO, Alice Kirge was a far better Jessica than the previous Jessica. She had a lot more steel and fire which I expected the first Jessica to have.
Also, the music for the CoD miniseries is awesome.
--
I just finished reading the Children of Dune. Yes, it's been a few years since the miniseries but I never managed to get around reading the Dune sequels until a few days ago. Also, I made the mistake of reading the prequels (House Atreides and Harkonnen) and The God Emperor of Dune.
Let me tell you, leaping immediately into GEoD was a mistake, despite watching the CoD miniseries I wasn't prepared for how strange and jarring that book could be. Also, I'd forgotten that the miniseries never spelled out what the Golden Path was. All I knew was that Leto was becoming part worm. I didn't know what that had to do with the Golden Path.
Long story short, GEoD had cooled my love for Dune but recently I decided to read CoD (and, yes, I skipped DM). CoD was an interesting read and just like the first book, the miniseries was faithful (as much one can be) to the book.
I am grateful they aged up Leto and Ghanima in the miniseries because while I thought the twincest was pretty much text in the miniseries, it had nothing on the book. The twincest was very much text in the book.
I'm looking at you, parent game. Also, they got married. For political reasons. They never consummated the marriage but still.
One thing this book made obvious was how much a bad parent Jessica was to Alia. In the miniseries, Alice Kirge was able to convey layers into her performance that it doesn't seem as bad but in the book there was no escaping how much Jessica contributed to Alia's possession.
Jessica seemed to love only her duke and her son, Paul. She had nothing else to give Alia but fear.
A lot of what's happened to Alia could have been avoided if only Jessica returned to Arrakis to help out her daughter rule an empire. Alia was simply too young to have an entire empire rest on her shoulders.
Alia had no one to turn to but her inner lives, she became dependent on them too much that the Baron Harkonned started possessing her but worse of all for Alia, more than Duncan's death was when she confirmed The Preacher was Paul:
Oh, Alia.
Even the brother she looked up to deserted her. I think Alia hoped Paul would help her stop the possession instead what she got was condemnation. And Irulan, the only ally who supported Alia and willing to look past her possession disappeared.
Irulan is my favorite character of the series. I was glad Irulan was able to find some measure of happiness in the miniseries. There was a passage in the novel where I was close to tears, It was Irulan stating point blank that her loyalty was to the twins first and foremost:
Irulan renounced her family and has dedicated herself solely to House Atreides and for her, House Atreides is Leto and Ghanima. And to an extent Irulan's loyalty extended to Alia until such time even Irulan couldn't ignore Alia's possession.
I think Irulan was being willfully blind about Alia falling into possession because at first Irulan didn't recognize the signs and then when she did it was too late and for the longest time I think she chose to be the voice that drove Alia to the middle. I think she thought that with Duncan and her tag teaming Alia they could keep her in line until such time Alia could hand over the throne to the twins.
And the biggest thing, I think would be: Irulan is a scholar and a pragmatist. A pragmatist in a way those who's been gifted by the spice could never be. Her practicality is Earth bound also, I think for Irulan the Bene Gesserit ways and the Muad'dib religion were only tools. She didn't believe in the mysticism the two orders pushed.
One other thing the book made clear, IMO, outside of Duncan, Irulan seemed truly concerned about Paul's legacy. I think in that regard she's become a true Atreides. She's became a lot more protective about the Atreides name than the Atreides themselves.
But I really didn't like how Irulan just vanished by the end of the book and her role in court was seemingly replaced by her nephew. Although, on the other hand this might just be the changing of the guard. But still, I didn't like the way Irulan vanished and that's the last we ever see of her within the series.
Leto and Ghanima are freaky and awesome. They've accomplished a lot for a pair of 9 years of old but again, I'm thankful they aged the twins up to 16 at least it made things more believable.
Oh, and re-watching CoD is making me ship Duncan Idaho v.3 and the book adds to that not only do I now ship Irulan/Duncan, I'm kind of rooting for Alia/Irulan.
--
Seriously, why do I always insist in writing long winded posts in the middle of the night? *yawns*
Plus I like this new one, its shiny and new and v. clean looking!
---
queenofthorns reminded me how much I loved Children of Dune. I first read Dune when I was in high school and it left an impression on me because it wasn't done as a Robert Jordan style fantasy and the politics in Dune seemed a lot more complex and believable than RJ's Wheel of Time.
Reading Dune had been an interesting experience and I remember how Jessica's parting words were like a punch to the gut for me.
Not because it was shocking but because for some reason the words resonated with me.
. "Think on it, Chani: that princess will have the name, yet she'll live as less than a concubine — never to know a moment of tenderness from the man to whom she's bound. While we, Chani, we who carry the name of concubine — history will call us wives."
Thinking back, this was the moment when I started to like Irulan I felt sorry for her. I liked Chani well enough but I never really got the handle on her character and even though we only just 'met' Irulan at the end of the book we learn a little something about her through the course of the novel.
After a few years Frank Herbert's Dune aired and I was impressed because of how faithful the miniseries was to the book. The changes they did, I liked. I liked that Irulan's role in the miniseries was expanded. In this version, it made sense. Also, I liked Paul and Irulan's brief scene at the party near the beginning of the series. They had chemistry and when they started flirting I thought how interesting it could have been if things went with that direction. Also, Irulan countered Paul's whining with snark and good humor. Points for that, I felt that people around Paul indulged him in his brooding too much.
Of course, after their marriage Irulan could no longer do that to Paul.
Dune was cheesetastic in almost every way, have I mentioned the hats? Because Dune had a lot of funny hats!
(It also never fails to leave me in stitches that the actor who played Feyd-Rautha is the same actor as the Middleman!)
Then the sequel came and while the special FX is still a little cheesy the production values were way up and the actors they got were for the miniseries were really good from James McAvoy, Jessica Brooks, Edward Atterton, Alice Kirge and, of course, my favorite, Julia Cox.
IMO, Alice Kirge was a far better Jessica than the previous Jessica. She had a lot more steel and fire which I expected the first Jessica to have.
Also, the music for the CoD miniseries is awesome.
--
I just finished reading the Children of Dune. Yes, it's been a few years since the miniseries but I never managed to get around reading the Dune sequels until a few days ago. Also, I made the mistake of reading the prequels (House Atreides and Harkonnen) and The God Emperor of Dune.
Let me tell you, leaping immediately into GEoD was a mistake, despite watching the CoD miniseries I wasn't prepared for how strange and jarring that book could be. Also, I'd forgotten that the miniseries never spelled out what the Golden Path was. All I knew was that Leto was becoming part worm. I didn't know what that had to do with the Golden Path.
Long story short, GEoD had cooled my love for Dune but recently I decided to read CoD (and, yes, I skipped DM). CoD was an interesting read and just like the first book, the miniseries was faithful (as much one can be) to the book.
I am grateful they aged up Leto and Ghanima in the miniseries because while I thought the twincest was pretty much text in the miniseries, it had nothing on the book. The twincest was very much text in the book.
I'm looking at you, parent game. Also, they got married. For political reasons. They never consummated the marriage but still.
One thing this book made obvious was how much a bad parent Jessica was to Alia. In the miniseries, Alice Kirge was able to convey layers into her performance that it doesn't seem as bad but in the book there was no escaping how much Jessica contributed to Alia's possession.
Jessica seemed to love only her duke and her son, Paul. She had nothing else to give Alia but fear.
A lot of what's happened to Alia could have been avoided if only Jessica returned to Arrakis to help out her daughter rule an empire. Alia was simply too young to have an entire empire rest on her shoulders.
Alia had no one to turn to but her inner lives, she became dependent on them too much that the Baron Harkonned started possessing her but worse of all for Alia, more than Duncan's death was when she confirmed The Preacher was Paul:
The Preacher once more took Alia's arm -- no faltering or hesitation. He was gentler this time, though. Leaning close, he pitched his voice for her ears alone, said: "Stop trying to pull me once more into the background, sister."
Then, hand on his young guide's shoulder, he stepped into the throng. Way was made for the strange pair. Hands reached out to touch The Preacher, but people reached with an awesome tenderness, fearful of what they might find beneath that dusty Fremen robe.
Alia stood alone in her shock as the throng moved out behind The Preacher.
Certainty filled her. It was Paul. No doubt remained. It was her brother. She felt what the crowd felt. She had stood in the sacred presence and now her universe tumbled all about her. She wanted to run after him, pleading for him to save her from herself, but she could not move. While others pressed to follow The Preacher and his guide, she stood intoxicated with an absolute despair, a distress so deep that she could only tremble with it, unable to command her own muscles.
What will I do? What will I do? she asked herself.
Now she did not even have Duncan to lean upon, nor her mother. The inner lives remained silent. There was Ghanima, held securely under guard within the Keep, but Alia could not bring herself to take this distress to the surviving twin.
Everyone has turned against me. What can I do?
Oh, Alia.
Even the brother she looked up to deserted her. I think Alia hoped Paul would help her stop the possession instead what she got was condemnation. And Irulan, the only ally who supported Alia and willing to look past her possession disappeared.
Irulan is my favorite character of the series. I was glad Irulan was able to find some measure of happiness in the miniseries. There was a passage in the novel where I was close to tears, It was Irulan stating point blank that her loyalty was to the twins first and foremost:
"Ghani, I don't fear for myself. I'd throw myself into the worm's mouth for you. Yes, I'm what you call me, the childless wife of your father, but you're the child I never had. I beg you . . ." .
Irulan renounced her family and has dedicated herself solely to House Atreides and for her, House Atreides is Leto and Ghanima. And to an extent Irulan's loyalty extended to Alia until such time even Irulan couldn't ignore Alia's possession.
I think Irulan was being willfully blind about Alia falling into possession because at first Irulan didn't recognize the signs and then when she did it was too late and for the longest time I think she chose to be the voice that drove Alia to the middle. I think she thought that with Duncan and her tag teaming Alia they could keep her in line until such time Alia could hand over the throne to the twins.
And the biggest thing, I think would be: Irulan is a scholar and a pragmatist. A pragmatist in a way those who's been gifted by the spice could never be. Her practicality is Earth bound also, I think for Irulan the Bene Gesserit ways and the Muad'dib religion were only tools. She didn't believe in the mysticism the two orders pushed.
One other thing the book made clear, IMO, outside of Duncan, Irulan seemed truly concerned about Paul's legacy. I think in that regard she's become a true Atreides. She's became a lot more protective about the Atreides name than the Atreides themselves.
But I really didn't like how Irulan just vanished by the end of the book and her role in court was seemingly replaced by her nephew. Although, on the other hand this might just be the changing of the guard. But still, I didn't like the way Irulan vanished and that's the last we ever see of her within the series.
Leto and Ghanima are freaky and awesome. They've accomplished a lot for a pair of 9 years of old but again, I'm thankful they aged the twins up to 16 at least it made things more believable.
Oh, and re-watching CoD is making me ship Duncan Idaho v.3 and the book adds to that not only do I now ship Irulan/Duncan, I'm kind of rooting for Alia/Irulan.
--
Seriously, why do I always insist in writing long winded posts in the middle of the night? *yawns*
