House Harkonnen (Dune: House Trilogy, Book 2) by Brian Herbert, Kevin Anderson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of House Harkonnen (Dune: House Trilogy, Book 2)
Book Review: Fun, satisfying space-opera page turner...
Summary: 4 Stars
Sometimes I think maybe people take DUNE too seriously. It is a great testament to the power of the series that it consistentlymanages to be so philosophical, pulpy, and entertaining at once. This book follows the stories of many familiar characters, Duke Leto, Jessica, Baron Harkonnen, Reverend Mother Helena, the Emperor Shaddam IV, Rabban, Duncan Idaho, Gurney Halleck, Count Fenring, Piter De Vries, Liet Kynes among others, and adds a few new ones such as Rabban's father and mother, a renegade household, the Verniuses, and C'tair a rebel on the planet of Ix who is the twin brother of a HUMAN Navigator, D'murr. There is certainly a lot of material here, and at times it seems almost too much, but that is what Space Opera is for, and the resulting "brings up as many questions as it answers effect" is kind of nice. Perhaps one day we'll find out a little more about the Butlerian Jihad. (And it's all still hugely symbolic.) There are discrepancies, which is to be expected in any long running epic series. The only one which really bothered me was that Fenring supposedly built the Conservatorium in the Palace on Arrakis for his wife, the Bene Gesserit Lady Margot. I believe the primary works implied its origins were a little bit more legendary. But it's still a fascinating portrait of a VERY SICK human race imperceptibly struggling, one hopes, for recovery, and it's all the more a fascinating read for the dark, conflicting and increasingly ironic philosophies that permeate. I hadn't read House Atreides, and I didn't really have very much trouble with using House Harkonnen as a starting point for the new series. But you do need to know the base characters before hand. You'll learn about Paul's brother, Jessica's sister and how Rabban got to be called "the Beast." And if you're like me, you'll think Reverend Mother Helena has a heck of a lot of nerve testing anyone for being human.
Book Review: Get deeper into an interesting universe.
Summary: 5 Stars
In a review of a nonfiction book, a commenter praised the book and disparaged fiction as a whole, saying something like this: "To hell with fiction! With books like this, who needs it?"
I read nonfiction as well as fiction because I understand nonfiction has something to offer. What human author can compete with the logic of God? But if you stubbornly deny yourself the goodness of good fiction, you are masochistically ignorant. Fiction opens up portals to spectacular alternate realities that remain forever hidden without fiction.
I have read five Dune novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, and so far they have done a good job of opening up one of those portals.
"House Harkonnen" is the second of the House Trilogy by Herbert and Anderson. The books describe events in the generation before the events of Frank Herbert's "Dune," and we get the origins of prominent characters from that Hugo Award winning classic. "House Harkonnen's" plotlines involve you with intrigues of noble houses in a galactic empire and with adventures of colorful characters like Duncan Idaho and Gurley Halleck. The authors hit you with violence and touch you with pathos. You ride giant sandworms across the desert of Dune, and you discover treasure in the ice floes of arctic Lankiveil.
The characters of the House books are not exotic like some characters in the chronologically preceding Legends of Dune trilogy. But the House Trilogy characters stand out and are quite likeable. It's easy to identify with the good guys and to hate the bad guys. Take Baron Harkonnen and his nephew Rabban. They are so doggone bad they are laughable. But they are serious characters--not comical--and they are convincing.
Be sure to read "House Atreides" before reading "House Harkonnen." Regarding the relationship between Baron Harkonnen and the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, one scene in "House Harkonnen" would not be nearly as pleasing as it was without my having read "House Atreides." Also, "House Harkonnen" has many strings left dangling. For closure you'll need to read "House Corrino."
The prose is contemporary and easy to read, nothing like Thomas Hardy. (Do we still have high school English teachers sadistically assigning "Return of the Native"?) It seemed to me that the House Trilogy has more paragraphs of descriptive detail than I found in Legends of Dune. The detail is not excessive, however, and I welcomed it.
If you can, read the hardback editions of these books. The maps are hard to read in the paperbacks.
Book Review: Good for desperate Dune fans, but directionless
Summary: 3 Stars
I thought that Dune: House Atreides was a decent book. Sure, it doesn't match up to the original book, or any in the original series, but it was a mediocre look back at the characters and was mostly enjoyable. Unfortunately, 'House Harkonnen' isn't much better, and actually bogs down the series. Anderson feels he needs to explain everything, every detail that may have been brought up briefly in Frank Herberts original books. Also, his need to create relationships between every original character borders on irrititating, especially when some don't even make sense (Liet meeting Gurney so early in their lives is ridiculous, as they're meeting in the original 'Dune' was obviously the first) Also, it's terribly obvious that Anderson has absolutely no story to tell, and is happy to fill up book upon book with useless story filler that is completely unnecessary in the Dune universe. Yeah, the book is good for those who are incredibly desperate for Fremen/Spice/Atreides adventures. Otherwise, read with caution.Book Review: Good reading
Summary: 4 Stars
Any Dune book is an enjoyable read, especially if one is not a diehard Frank Herbert fan hellbent on picking apart his son's efforts to continue the series. I enjoyed this book, even if it does get rather slow at times, and keep meaning to pick up the others to finish off the Dune series and haven't gotten around to it.Book Review: Great Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I think that Brian did an exceptional job on this book. I've reall the entire trilogy and thoroughlly enjoyed it. The 1st 2 were my favourites though.