Point of View

Frank Herbert uses a third-person past tense perspective throughout the narrative portions of Chapterhouse: Dune, being omniscient to the character's unexpressed thoughts. Much of the novel is driven by dialog, with characters commenting mentally on how they perceive conversations are going. Particularly when facing the easily-provoked Grand Honored Matre, Bene Gesserit characters must remind themselves of her danger, dampen their enjoyment of their intellectual superiority over her, and attempt to get their points across - Bene Gesserit are always looking for opportunities to teach. All the characters, except the hidden Jews on Gammu, live under constant supervision of comeyes and know their expression, gestures, and words are carefully analyzed.

Herbert indulges in political philosophy more in Chapterhouse: Dune than in the last few Dune novels. He relegates the God Emperor (or Tyrant) Leto II and his previously vaunted "Golden Path" to the status of Emperor-without-Clothes. Having...