Q Book

Q by Luther Blissett is a wondrous novel. Set in the 16th century during the first decades of the Reformation, it follows two characters: an Anabaptist, member of the Radical Reformation - a movement that advocated greater spiritual and political change - and the mysterious Q, a spy for the Cardinal behind the reawekening of the Inquisition, Giovanni Pietro Carafa - the future Paul IV. The result is a thoroughly well researched romp, filled with religious imagery and speech, action, sex and well, not rock a' roll but the 16th century equivalent, whatever it might be.

But Q is far more than a fun read. The parallels established between the Anabaptists' struggle and the modern fight against capitalism and State-power are obvious. This is only a novel about the 16th century insofar as it is set there. In all other aspects, this is a book about modernity, about the tide of historical forces that squash some things and allow others to survive.

This might be explained by the fact that Luther Blissett is a pseudonym created by a group of Italian left wing activists, and that this novel is in fact a collaborative work between several of these people. So make no mistake: Q is a political work. It preaches hate against authority, money, and against all those who attempt to control free thinking and free speech. And above all, it teaches Omnia Sunt Communia. Everything belongs to everyone.