I had often heard of that
book and wanted to read it for a while. The thing is I'm a bit lazy
and not really into reading. Yet, I thought that being asked to read
a book for this English class was a good opportunity to give it a try
– and I definitely don't regret it.
I'm talking about Dune by
Frank Herbert, an epic science fiction novel. It is not unlikely you
have already heard of it, maybe even read it, as it's actually the
world's best-selling sci-fi novel.
The story is set in a
distant future and tells us about a feudal interstellar society where
noble houses, in control of individual planets, owe allegiance to the
emperor. Following the life of Paul Atreides, the main character of
the novel, who also happens to have extraordinary abilities – such
as control of his metabolism, heightened senses and seeing the future
– we slowly discover not only the plot but also the multiple
aspects of this world. From politics and religion to technology,
ecology, culture or human interaction, we can't help but be struck by
the complexity and the details of Herbert's creation.
And this is what might put
you off at first. The slow start and abundance of description mean it really
takes some time and effort to get into the novel. When you finally
manage to go past that, however, you will understand why it is
considered by many to be such a masterpiece.
A few cool words I found
while reading it:
Dubiety – the
state or quality of being doubtful; uncertainty
Elated – thrilled, delighted
Defer – submit
humbly to (a person or a person's wishes or qualities)
Prescient – having or showing
knowledge of events before they take place
Poised – having a composed and
self-assured manner
Edit: Here's a short story using those words:
Once upon a time, there was a man pretending to be a wizard. Because he was so poised, he had no trouble convincing anyone he was prescient, and nobody would ever mention the dubiety of his powers. All of his acquaintances, elated, deferred to his superior knowledge.
