directed by Denis Villenueve, although slowly descending from its pedestal, is still one of the most frequently watched productions in cinemas. Two weeks after its premiere in Poland, the number of viewers reached one million, and the film grossed over USD 379 million worldwide. The premiere of the film version of the story prompted many to reach for the original. As it turns out, another legendary author had a big problem with Frank Herbert’s novel. Although JRR Tolkien tried to be sparing with words in one of his letters, he made it clear that he did not like Herbert’s work. The contents were revealed in the book “Tolkien’s Library: An Annotated Checklist”.
“Dune” by Frank Herbert was published in 1965. The first release turned out to be a flop
In 1965, Tolkien received a copy of the novel from Sterling E. Lanier, the editor, writer and man responsible for publishing “Dune” and thus its first book edition. He politely replied some time later, explaining that “he received the novel just before he went abroad,” but that he was afraid that “he would only have time to read it during his next vacation.” It was Lanier who convinced Chilton Books to publish Herbert’s novel, sensing that it would be a success. However, this one did not come immediately. The first edition turned out to be , and Lanier lost his job. Meanwhile, “Dune” slowly gathered a huge fan base and further prestigious awards, including the Hugo Award.
Tolkien vs. Herbert. The author of “The Lord of the Rings” was not a fan of “Dune”
Half a year later, Tolkien received another copy of “Dune”, this time from another Herbert fan, John Bush. On March 12, 1966, he wrote back that he thanked him very much for the copy, but he already had one. The author also honestly admitted that he did not like the novel, to put it mildly. He emphasized, however, that as an author who is still creating, he cannot remain objective towards another author. He expressed his opinion in a polite, polite and at the same time firm manner.
To tell you the truth, I didn’t like ‘Dune’ much. In this unfortunate case, it would be best and most honest for me to remain silent and not comment.
Where does Tolkien’s aversion to “Dune” come from? Although the writer did not express it directly, fans speculate that it could have been about how Herbert presented religion, and in particular the “messiah” in the form of Paul Atreides. Tolkien was a devout Catholic and conservative, so it is likely that he did not like the religious motifs in Herbert’s work. There are also fans of “Dune” among Middle-earth fans. What do they think about Tolkien’s words?
At least he expressed his opinion with class.
After writing ‘The Lord of the Rings’ he has earned the right to criticize anything he likes.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
