Luther Blissett
Q

Q, Luther Blissett (Ita) 1999. Edizioni Einaudi (Here you can legally download the book)

Who is Luther Blissett?

During the '80s and '90s, under the pseudonym "Luther Blissett," an unspecified number of artists from various backgrounds and from all over the globe signed numerous works: the common thread linking them was a marked predisposition for criticism against the Mass Media and the consequent attempt at counterculture against the existing information system. Besides artistic publications under the same "aegis," various acts of sabotage and pranks were carried out during those years (especially in Italy to protest against copyright laws: here is a list of the actions performed). The name was taken from an English forward for Milan in the '80s (famous for missing goals). Here is the Luther Blissett Project Site.

Who is the Luther Blissett of "Q"?

They are four writers from Bologna: Giovanni Cattabriga, Luca Di Meo, Roberto Bui, and Federico Guglielmi, who self-defined as a "multiple name under which a nucleus of common sense destabilizers acts programmatically." Since 2000, the pseudonym used (for collective and "solo" works) is "Wu Ming," which also involves a fifth writer: Riccardo Pedrini (Wu Ming 5), and during 2008, Luca Di Meo (Wu Ming 3) left the collective. All writings of the Luther Blissett/Wu Ming project are under Creative Commons License and are therefore freely downloadable from their Website and reproducible for non-commercial purposes. (All their books bear the inscription: "Partial or total reproduction of the work and its distribution via telematics is allowed, provided it is not for commercial purposes and on the condition that this statement is reproduced.")

But what is "Q"?

"Q" is the name of the first (and currently only) novel written by the collective under the first pseudonym, and quoting the authors themselves, it must be said that "the proper attribution of the book must go to the entire communicative universe defined by the use of the multiple name." The genre is historical and adventure novel. The title derives from the code name of one of the characters (the second most important after the protagonist), namely the antagonist spy: Q, indeed.

What is the plot?

"Q" takes place between 1518 and 1555 and features a German anabaptist (whose real name is never revealed) as the protagonist, who during those years directly or indirectly participates in all events related to the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Opposing him, unbeknownst to him for much of the novel, is a spy put on the trail of the early Protestant movements by Cardinal Carafa (a real person like most of the others mentioned in the book). The events unfold between Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, and briefly in the Ottoman Empire. The narrative follows the protagonist's human and spiritual formation from rebellious and revolutionary youth to much more diplomatic maturity.

The Structure, how is "Q" written?

The novel is divided into three parts that follow the main moments of the historical events (which actually happened) of that era: "The Coiner" sees the protagonist join the reformer pastor Thomas Müntzer from the first preachings to the defeat of Frankenhausen (1525); The second part "One God, one faith, one baptism" is characterized by the protagonist's recount to Eloi, a heretic of Antwerp, about the rebellion of Munster (1535); In "The Benefit of Christ," the plot shifts to Italy and sees the actors move in the decade that witnesses the final phase of the Reformation until the Peace of Augsburg (1555). The narrative technique includes the use of the protagonist's narrative voice, and the action is recounted, depending on the moment, both in the present and with the use of flashbacks, alternating the two phases in a non-linear manner. There are also moments where Q speaks in person: initially through correspondence with his mentor, Carafa, and as the novel develops, there are also excerpts from his personal diary.

What are the historical implications of "Q"?

Since its appearance, "Q" has prompted much discussion because it's not difficult to see a singular parallel with the late twentieth-century history (from '68 to the Kosovo "liberation" War in '99) in the narrated events, with heavy criticism (in line with the tradition of the pseudonym used) of the use of the media system by the holders of political and economic power in the world. However, it should not be forgotten that "Q" is mainly a "cloak and dagger" novel with all the main characteristics of the genre on display (including a certain narrative naivety, albeit intentional) and the main references should surely be caught in Salgari and Dumas. Therefore, as such, the writer here recommends reading it: then everyone can still see all the politics they want...

Do you have anything else to say?

"Q" has been one of the most successful Italian books in recent years: translated into ten languages, almost a decade after its publication, it continues to capture new "adepts" who elect it as a true cult book. A curious thing to say is that initially many believed that Umberto Eco was behind the pseudonym even when the Alessandrian writer provided the official denial.

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All men of good will (and endless patience)

Mo.