Hi Mike, Home recovering from getting both knees replaced. I have not done much reading, but I think that will change soon. Love hearing about your trip to the Southwest - my husband and I went 5 years ago to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. We went to a couple of bookstores and picked up a couple of books along the way (I may have mentioned that in a previous note). I have read The Wide Sargasso Sea in 2016 and really liked it 4⭐️. It is not a straightforward read, but a satisfying one. I hope you like it. Hi to Donna and enjoy this beautiful, bonus day in NY!
Hi Kate! Like Donna said, I hope your recovery is going well. Hopefully some books will help as well. The Southwest was really beautiful, and I hope to get back there some day. In the meantime, Sargasso Sea is out to a strong lead in the poll! Hope you're up and around and able to enjoy these fall days soon!
I voted for Perfume. Wouldn't mind rereading it. The Wide Sargasso Sea was a book I'd been meaning to read for years. When I finally did, I completely bounced off Rhys' prose. Not every writer is for everyone, I suppose. And not to be a total Debbie Downer, but Children was the toughest volume of Dune for me to get through so far. God Emperor was more engaging. Still... the deeper in, the stronger the sense that plotting has left the building. Big ideas remain, however. Herbert certainly had a unique vision for his fictional universe. But, you know, I'm looking forward to your reviews because maybe you'll change my mind!
Thanks, Milena! I'm excited that you read all three of these books already, and I look forward to sharing thoughts on whichever wins the poll. So far, Sargasso is in the lead. I really enjoy the world of Dune, but I know what you mean about plotting. Dune Messiah started to give me some concerns along those lines. Still, I'm excited to read Children eventually, but will probably move on from the series after that.
I love hearing which Dune book people like the most because everyone is either a God Emperor person or an all-the-other-books person (I'm the latter). It's very much along the same lines as Austen fans being either Persuasion people or Mansfield Park people (I'm the former). I also didn't connect with Wide Sargasso Sea as much as I'd hoped!
Thanks, Keke! So if I understand you correctly, you're saying I should press on for one more book beyond Children of Dune? Can I stop there or do I also need to tackle Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune?
I think you can stop after Children of Dune in the sense that one story is complete after that point. God Emperor is a lot of folks' favorite in the series though, so you should continue if you want more of life on Arrakis. Heretics and Chapterhouse are another huge time jump with mostly different characters but I really loved them as well. The bummer that you are probably aware of is that there was supposed to be a seventh book but Herbert died before he could write it so Chapterhouse ends on a huge cliffhanger. I've heard the two books written by Herbert's son that complete the series aren't bad, I just haven't tried them.
Interesting! Maybe I should clarify that while I found God Emperor pretty engaging (and at times also unintentionally funny), I think the first book has the right combination of vision and plot. I wonder sometimes if it's possible to keep the narrative dimension functional in a story meant to span centuries or millennia. When human lives begin to look like ants' to lives, does the writing become mere description? I dip back into Dune every few years. Now I've gotten at least smart enough not to attempt rereading the early volumes.
I still really liked God Emperor! I just found it to be a little bit of a slog. Messiah might actually be my favorite which I realize is a deeply unpopular opinion. I read them all some years ago though, I should do some rereading myself. You skip the first book(s) when you reread them? Not a bad idea, especially since the first book was pretty faithfully covered by Denis Villeneuve in the recent movies.
Milena, I liked Perfume as well. Found its premise original—an evil protagonist with an extraordinary sense of smell, keen enough he can filter out the various stenches of old France and catch the scent of a woman target on the wind. Good choice.
I hope you go down the Jean Rhys rabbit hole and love her writing as much as I do. Her writing and her life have fascinated me for a long time. Both as a cautionary tale and how turning our lives into art is a means to surviving it all. No one has written about being a women at the whims of the world quite like her. ♥️💔
I've heard nothing but good things about Wide Sargasso Sea! Also yes you simply must keep an eye out for a cover that matches the rest of your Dune series 😀
Wide Sargasso Sea has been one that I’ve only vaguely heard of as incredible and has been on my list forever but I honestly know nothing about her work. Excited to find a copy now!
I absolutely loved Perfume by Suskind. I had never heard of the book but after mentioning on Facebook that I'd read it many of my friends posted how much they had liked the book and also that there is a movie version. Of course I had to watch the movie! Here's a link to IMDB if you're interested: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/
Hi Mike, Home recovering from getting both knees replaced. I have not done much reading, but I think that will change soon. Love hearing about your trip to the Southwest - my husband and I went 5 years ago to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. We went to a couple of bookstores and picked up a couple of books along the way (I may have mentioned that in a previous note). I have read The Wide Sargasso Sea in 2016 and really liked it 4⭐️. It is not a straightforward read, but a satisfying one. I hope you like it. Hi to Donna and enjoy this beautiful, bonus day in NY!
I hope your knee replacement recovery is going well!
Hi Kate! Like Donna said, I hope your recovery is going well. Hopefully some books will help as well. The Southwest was really beautiful, and I hope to get back there some day. In the meantime, Sargasso Sea is out to a strong lead in the poll! Hope you're up and around and able to enjoy these fall days soon!
Wide Sargasso Sea is a classic! It blew my mind when I read it in college. Justice for Antoinette!
Thanks, Susan! I'm looking forward to reading it. Could be soon as the book is out front in the poll!
Will always vote for feminist renderings over anything Dune. There I said it! Vote cast! Though Perfume has been on my list forever.
I voted for Perfume. Wouldn't mind rereading it. The Wide Sargasso Sea was a book I'd been meaning to read for years. When I finally did, I completely bounced off Rhys' prose. Not every writer is for everyone, I suppose. And not to be a total Debbie Downer, but Children was the toughest volume of Dune for me to get through so far. God Emperor was more engaging. Still... the deeper in, the stronger the sense that plotting has left the building. Big ideas remain, however. Herbert certainly had a unique vision for his fictional universe. But, you know, I'm looking forward to your reviews because maybe you'll change my mind!
Thanks, Milena! I'm excited that you read all three of these books already, and I look forward to sharing thoughts on whichever wins the poll. So far, Sargasso is in the lead. I really enjoy the world of Dune, but I know what you mean about plotting. Dune Messiah started to give me some concerns along those lines. Still, I'm excited to read Children eventually, but will probably move on from the series after that.
I love hearing which Dune book people like the most because everyone is either a God Emperor person or an all-the-other-books person (I'm the latter). It's very much along the same lines as Austen fans being either Persuasion people or Mansfield Park people (I'm the former). I also didn't connect with Wide Sargasso Sea as much as I'd hoped!
Thanks, Keke! So if I understand you correctly, you're saying I should press on for one more book beyond Children of Dune? Can I stop there or do I also need to tackle Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune?
I think you can stop after Children of Dune in the sense that one story is complete after that point. God Emperor is a lot of folks' favorite in the series though, so you should continue if you want more of life on Arrakis. Heretics and Chapterhouse are another huge time jump with mostly different characters but I really loved them as well. The bummer that you are probably aware of is that there was supposed to be a seventh book but Herbert died before he could write it so Chapterhouse ends on a huge cliffhanger. I've heard the two books written by Herbert's son that complete the series aren't bad, I just haven't tried them.
Got it. Thanks so much, Keke!
Interesting! Maybe I should clarify that while I found God Emperor pretty engaging (and at times also unintentionally funny), I think the first book has the right combination of vision and plot. I wonder sometimes if it's possible to keep the narrative dimension functional in a story meant to span centuries or millennia. When human lives begin to look like ants' to lives, does the writing become mere description? I dip back into Dune every few years. Now I've gotten at least smart enough not to attempt rereading the early volumes.
I still really liked God Emperor! I just found it to be a little bit of a slog. Messiah might actually be my favorite which I realize is a deeply unpopular opinion. I read them all some years ago though, I should do some rereading myself. You skip the first book(s) when you reread them? Not a bad idea, especially since the first book was pretty faithfully covered by Denis Villeneuve in the recent movies.
Milena, I liked Perfume as well. Found its premise original—an evil protagonist with an extraordinary sense of smell, keen enough he can filter out the various stenches of old France and catch the scent of a woman target on the wind. Good choice.
Yes! It's not easy to pull off having an evil protagonist.
I hope you go down the Jean Rhys rabbit hole and love her writing as much as I do. Her writing and her life have fascinated me for a long time. Both as a cautionary tale and how turning our lives into art is a means to surviving it all. No one has written about being a women at the whims of the world quite like her. ♥️💔
Thanks, Deborah! I'm really intrigued by her and her work, and am looking forward to this book!
Wow... that way of describing her work is just an instant push to read her.
I've heard nothing but good things about Wide Sargasso Sea! Also yes you simply must keep an eye out for a cover that matches the rest of your Dune series 😀
Thanks, Ariana! lol yes! I'm going to have to replace that Dune book, for sure!
And I'm glad you got to see Second story books!
I'm so glad I went! It's a great store!
I voted for Wide Sargasso Sea, too. I just got a copy of it myself after reading Kate Jones's review. I am so intrigued by the book AND the author.
I look forward to reading your thoughts about it, Petya! So far, it's winning the poll.
Wide Sargasso Sea has been one that I’ve only vaguely heard of as incredible and has been on my list forever but I honestly know nothing about her work. Excited to find a copy now!
Hi Cassie! Same with me. I've had a vague notion about it, but know next to nothing. If the polling numbers hold, I'll soon find out!
ahhh so hard to vote because all three are good books! but went ahead with Jean Rhys
Thanks for voting, Jam!
I absolutely loved Perfume by Suskind. I had never heard of the book but after mentioning on Facebook that I'd read it many of my friends posted how much they had liked the book and also that there is a movie version. Of course I had to watch the movie! Here's a link to IMDB if you're interested: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/
Thanks, Kim! I had no idea there was a movie version. And with a great cast!