Reading the prequels more than once

[dunaddict]

I think it's safe to say most forummembers here have read the six real Dune novels numerous times.
The prequels are a different story. Would you read them again? Have you already done so? Why did you do it? How bad was it? Discuss...

Myself... I've read all the Dune novels at least twice (Dune and GE a lot more). The pre/se/interquels only once, and I can't bring myself to re-read them. I tried to pick up House Atreides again a while back, just to see if my recollection of it being the "best" of the prequels was still true. (And maybe discover a few new inconsistencies along the way. ) After three pages I thought to myself; I've got other, better things to read than this....

Has ANYONE here read a BH/KJA-word collection twice?

[grandmastercrafter]

Yes, I have, unfortunately. I've had to run back and forth between chapters and between books to try to see if I had really read what I thought I had read. This led to me saying "I must have missed something" and going back and re-reading the whole thing again, then again... in total I'd probably read the prequels over 4-5 times each, and felt that I'd been smacked in the brain each time. I've stopped doing that recently, since I just keep getting really angry every time... I've been told I have to stay calm RE blood pressure... Also used them as kindling when we were hit by the two snowstorms this past winter - we were out of power and snowed in for almost a week, and we had a ton of wood, and a fireplace, but no newspapers or the like, so I pulled out my trusty copies of McDune and started many a fire with them. I still had pages, and the covers, left at the end of the week, so I burned the rest of em, just cause I had started anyways. The second snowstorm I'd already chopped some kindling and had it stored away, so I still have my hardcopy of Hunters (minus only the first 20-25 pages).

On a happier note, I've read and re-read the original series so many times that I can't even keep track. There was a 2-year period where I had the whole series in one of the bathrooms (I had a bookshelf in there with some classic novels and comics) of a 5-bedroom house, with a bunch of other musicians and students (ahhhh those were the days!)... Those copies were literally falling to pieces by the time I left. I read each book well over 5 times each over that two-year period, since I was known as the 'extended dumpster' (stayed in the bathroom for waaaaay too long, cause I kept saying to myself '....just one more page! just one more...! Needless to say, I was the butt of many a joke ).

TMI?

[D Pope]

I guess i'd do it if I really felt like I needed the reference.
I know I read the preequals, nothing memorable there. I mean I can't remember them.
I made it as far as Gurney losing controll of his fremen in PoD and couldn't continue.

I shudder to think what would make me do that again.

I remember Norma rebuilt herself to be preety for a man.
Robot Erasmus got stuck in a glacier for a long time and came out wanting to wear clothes.
Cymeks having mindsex and getting their can polished by trusted people.
Wasn't there an afterward about an expedition to Arrakis looking for loot-n-booty that decided to sell the sand?

Other than the disappointment, that's all i've retained. Oh, and some people going blind because they watched solar panels fall out of space. At least I think that was nuDune... don't care if it ain't, pshaw!

I guess i'm saying I can't imagine anyone doing it for fun. Doing it to make fun of it doesn't count.

[Ampoliros]

I've thought about re-reading them to go back and do what I did with the WoD notes, but somehow I just can't justify torturing myself that way.

I've had to re-read a few paragraphs just to make sure what I read really did say what I thought because it was so mind numbingly retarded the first time my brain refused to acknowledge it.

[Hunchback Jack]

After three pages I thought to myself; I've got other, better things to read than this....

This is pretty much my reaction before even attempting a reread . There are too many other good books - or even potentially good books - to read.

I *might* have reread HA just before HH came out, in preparation. Certainly didn't reread either HA or HH for HC; I remember reading that one cold. Haven't read the Legends books even once, and will not read to Dune 7 books again.

HBJ

[Omphalos]

I really don't think that I could handle the monotony of that. I was in a used book store today actually thought about picking up another KJA book called Climbing Olympus, just to see if there was anything to his earlier work. I eventually remembered that he's burned all his bridges with me. IOW, he sucks and he's an ass. Plus, first six times, shame on him. Seventh, shame on me.

[MrFlibble]

Actually re-reading them is not justified IMO (unless you really, really hate yourself or your TV is broken or I dunno what else), but sometimes the need might arise to confirm, with quoted material, yet another BS contradiction with the original books.

Capt'n Obvious out.

[Shaitan]

For the most part, no. But it's happened. I'm ashamed to admit it, but there it is.

[Aquila ka-Hecate]

I actually paid money for Hunters. Not a lot, admittedly, but still money.

I never throw books away. If I hadn't lost all my worldly goods in the past, I'd have to have another house to contain all the books I've bought.

But one reading of a prequel was enough for me. I finished it (admittedly, something I've yet to do with Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit -those are exceptions which prove my rule of always finishing the damn book), but Hunters sits on a shelf, forlorn and never to be taken down and read again. Assuming I don't have a psychotic break, that is.

[grandmastercrafter]

Plus, first six times, shame on him. Seventh, shame on me.

[Sarafan]

Yes, I have read the Legends, House series, Hunters and Sadworms once. That's about as far as I want go with McDune. Now I feel dirty again so I'm going to take a shower

[Mandy]

I can't convince myself to read them once, let alone twice. Shit, my brain is already infected with their crap after reading the Dune wiki.

[SandChigger]

I'm planning on doing "chap-by-chap" (to put it in TheKJA-like terms) synopses of the Legends books before Twisted Sisters comes out in 2012, so I'll be re-reading those three at some point.

[merkin muffley]

I tried to read Paul of Dune and Butlerian Jihad, and got very angry and stopped in the middle. I've fallen asleep listening to KJA/BH audiobooks, but never had a reason to put myself through that crap until I, recently, discovered that there is good fun in shitting on them. So, I might read Sisterhood for ammunition.

[Unfront]

I tried reading them a second time, but could not do it. I got a few pages into BJ for a second time, but stopped when the cymeks were on their raid of Salusa. Just got too childish. I will say, I did listen to the books, after reading them. Scott Brick, does a great job telling a story, but, even he can't save the prequels.

[lotek]

they got me once not twice!
And unless you need to mock or document I'd not advise reading them more than once

[dunaddict]

I'm planning on doing "chap-by-chap" (to put it in TheKJA-like terms) synopses of the Legends books before Twisted Sisters comes out in 2012, so I'll be re-reading those three at some point.

Great news. Then the mods can add those prequel reading groups I wanted after all!
To get you started, here are the summaries of the first few chapters of House Atreides.

[SandChigger]

Prequel reading groups?!

Ugh!

"That's not reading, that's ploughing shit with your eyes!"

Cheers for the link! (Edit: even if it is House Atreides!)

[grandmastercrafter]

So on-topic: what's the consensus on the principle "know thine enemy"? Cause, more than anything, that's what I live by, especially in this case... reading 'em allows intelligent rebuttal of ridiculousness... no?

[lotek]

yeah but they so dumb(for real)you don't actually need to read them more than once imo

[merkin muffley]

They don't have to come and confess, we're looking for them, we gone find them, we gone find them, they you can run and tell that, run and tell that, run and tell that, homeboy, home home homeboy.

I think you can pick a spot anywhere in any of the books, and it's horrible writing. I see absolutely no reason to read the whole thing more than once. DEA translators are trying to determine the meaning of that first sentence.

[A Thing of Eternity]

I'm done reading them, period. Not even once will I read any of their stuff. I read all of Legends and it was fun to laugh at, so was Hunters to a point, but Sandworms actually removed some of my love for Dune, it hurt me deeply. It's going to take a long time for that to wear off, and I will not risk similar ever again.

[TheDukester]

It makes me weep for the future of the world that there are people stupid and vapid enough to read the McDune shit twice.

[grandmastercrafter]

They don't have to come and confess, we're looking for them, we gone find them, we gone find them, they you can run and tell that, run and tell that, run and tell that, homeboy, home home homeboy.

Now that's some funny shit.

[grandmastercrafter]

It makes me weep for the future of the world that there are people stupid and vapid enough to read the McDune shit twice.

Whoa - take it easy cowboy! (in my case it's far more than twice... I'm pretty sure I don't fall into those categories, imo - what do you really think?)