Chapterhouse: Dune

Hardcover, 436 pages

English language

Published June 30, 1987 by Ace Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-441-10267-9
OCLC Number:: 1104811447

(2 reviews)

Frank Herbert's Final Novel in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles—the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All Time The desert planet Arrakis, called Dune, has been destroyed. The remnants of the Old Empire have been consumed by the violent matriarchal cult known as the Honored Matres. Only one faction remains a viable threat to their total conquest—the Bene Gesserit, heirs to Dune’s power. Under the leadership of Mother Superior Darwi Odrade, the Bene Gesserit have colonized a green world on the planet Chapterhouse and are turning it into a desert, mile by scorched mile. And once they’ve mastered breeding sandworms, the Sisterhood will control the production of the greatest commodity in the known galaxy—the spice melange. But their true weapon remains a man who has lived countless lifetimes—a man who served under the God Emperor Paul Muad’Dib....

33 editions

qboq@bookwyrm.social reviewed God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

Did not change my opinion after 30 years

4 stars

I read this book for the first time about thirty years ago. I have maintained for years that this very book is the counter argument that Science Fiction cannot be literary. My current copy (with a hideous cover) has been sitting on my shelf for many years now. Having reread (and re-enjoyed) the first trilogy, it was time to re-read this book as well.

More than with the first trilogy, it took a long time for both the story lines and the characters to properly develop. Apart from the main character, there are four other major characters who were a bit cardboard-ish in the first three quarters of the book, but who finally fleshed out in the last 150 pages or so.

The same goes for the story. A lot of pages are dedicated to describing the universe after several thousands of years. There were plots and subplots in good …

I read this book for the first time about thirty years ago. I have maintained for years that this very book is the counter argument that Science Fiction cannot be literary. My current copy (with a hideous cover) has been sitting on my shelf for many years now. Having reread (and re-enjoyed) the first trilogy, it was time to re-read this book as well.

More than with the first trilogy, it took a long time for both the story lines and the characters to properly develop. Apart from the main character, there are four other major characters who were a bit cardboard-ish in the first three quarters of the book, but who finally fleshed out in the last 150 pages or so.

The same goes for the story. A lot of pages are dedicated to describing the universe after several thousands of years. There were plots and subplots in good Frank Herbert fashion, but it only got really interesting when a number of major characters got together. I will not dive into this any deeper to prevent spoilers.

The first half was a bit difficult to read. The characters were not that appealing yet. However, the plots started to converge and the characters started to get the development they deserved. The climax was ham-fisted at first sight, but provided a satisfying closure for both the main character himself and my as a reader.

I still stand by my earlier comment that this book should be considered literary in quite a snooty sense of the word.

Paranoid Fish

rated it

May 31, 1985