House Harkonnen

by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Kevin Anderson

Book Overview

Book Two of the Epic Prequel to the Classic Novel Dune--A Major Motion Picture Sequel to the international bestseller Dune: House Atreides Before Dune . . . The epic tale of Duke Leto Atreides and his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553110721
• ISBN13: 9780553110722
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Spectra Books
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 2.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Great Book!

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.

Best of the Prequels - House Harkonnen

But don't even think of reading it unless you read House Atreides first ... although reading the "Legends of Dune" trilogy (The Butlerian Jihad, The Machine Crusade, The Battle of Corrin) is not required reading to the "Prelude to Dune" trilogy (House Atriedes, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino). It's very helpful in reading these prequels to not burden them with a weight too great for them to bear: measuring them by Frank Herbert's classic Dune series (which a few of them were not so great either...) As a stand-alone SF novel, House Harkonnen (as I said) is the best of the bunch, and the only one I really hate to put down. Why is it better than House Atreides it's predecessor? Hard to say, intangibles perhaps, and maybe we've learned to care more about the characters now through two novels. Characterization is definitely better in HH, regardless of what the nay-saying scoffers say. It's more exciting, and looming in our minds is how the characters will age and mature into the ones we know and love in Dune. So read it and enjoy it. I give it a 4.5 rounded up to a 5.

A worthy addition to the Dune Chronicles.

Even though I give Dune: House Harkonnen 5 stars, I must caution readers that the book is only enjoyable and comprehensible if you've read the previous installment, Dune: House Atreides. Of course, to REALLY get the most from this book you must have read the classic original novel (and if you haven't read that masterpiece, drop everything you're doing and read it NOW).There's foreshadowing aplenty in this middle installment of the Dune Prequel Trilogy as we see Duke Leto, now firmly settled as ruler of Caladan, wrestle with plots from within and without his House. House Harkonnen plots and schemes as always to destroy House Atreides as well as anyone else that gets in their way and we see the begginings of the transformation of Dune from harsh desert to the lush green planet it would become in later novels.The plotting is thick as befits a Dune novel and there are many characters, but authors Herbert and Anderson juggle it all very well and it's quite a good read. Dune fans rejoice!

Not Frank well done

From the first chapter it is evident that this book was not written by Frank, but that does not stop this from being a great book. To the casual sci-fi reader the Dune series might be a little intimidating to get into, all the books and each one being rather long. And towards the end of the series it can get a little dry. But this prequel is perfect as an introduction. It has a lot more action than Frank's books. But Frank's books developed a much richer universe. Frank's work is more of a philisophical discuss on human nature and government. While Brian's work is more of a fun read. They are is different classes but that does not diminish the quality of this new series. And the new books do a pretty good job of showing how some of the old fueds and stereotypes got started, although it would be nice if they covered all of them.When I read the original series I stopped after the fourth book. But reading House Harkonnen and House Atreides got me so excited about the Dune world again I am going to read the last three books of the Dune series - right after I read House Corrino of course.

It's all a matter of expectations.

Perusing the reviews for both House Atreides and House Harkonnen it is easy to find a common current of disatisfaction. It has in fact been noted by all of the great Frank Herbert's readership that with his passing, so to went the genius behind the most imaginative and captivating science fiction series of all time. But isn't it lovely that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have accepted the all but impossible task of finishing the story? While neither H.A. or H.H. approach the mastery of the original Dune (deserving of 10 stars) or the philisophical complexity of God Emperor Dune (simply brilliant), they serve the story and the readers admirably by simply giving us a window into the Pre-Paul world of Arrakis. With familiar characters, explained mysteries, and a fast paced, entertaining gait, House Harkonnen is cause for the true Dune afficianado to give cheer. What's more, I recently read Dune again, and found that my further understadning of the characters gave the original series an additional depth which certainly isn't necessary, but nonetheless entirely pleasing. Naysayers will paint this book and H.A. as borrowed and simple, but in truth they reframe and carry on with all the reverenance and stylistic approximation they could possibly muster.