I haven’t read this book until the end, and finished roughly where the movie ended. This is not because it’s not worth the time or not interesting at all. On the contrary, the book is way more thoughtful and exciting than the movie. The reason I took the book in the first place was to read on the topic of upbringing children. How royal children are raised and what they are taught. What they feel. And in that sence I’ve got enough answers.
How I discovered it?
I got really interested in the book after watching the movie which left too many unanswered questions for me.
How it changed me
It made me value my freedom of choice more than before. When we are brought to this world with a specific purpose, when our parents want to fulfill their dreams using us, you lose that freedom to forge your own path. As a result your only choice is to make everyone happy and follow the rules. I, on the other side, have the power to change the direction of my life: I can take a long sabbatical, I can learn a new craft, leave my current job and start something completely different. Royals don’t have that choice.
My top quotes
The sayings of Muad’Dib by Princess Irulan opens every chapter, and these quotes are quite dense and inspirational. However most of the quotes I wrote down were related to the topic which triggered my interest in the Dune: cultivation of your children.
Command must always look confident, he thought. All that faith riding on your shoulders while you sit in the critical seat and never show it.
You are dealing, you see, with the Law of the Minimum…Growth is limited by that necessity which is present in the least amount. And, naturally, the least favorable condition controls the growth rate.
Most of the Houses have grown fat by taking few risks. One cannot truly blame them for this; one can only despise them.
When God hath ordained a creature to die in a particular place, He causeth that creature’s wants to direct him to that place.