Altai

For those of you who have not yet read any of Wu Ming’s novels you may wish to read the footnote to this review.

The events presented in “Altai” took place between June 1569 and December 1571. As with all of the Wu Ming novels I have read to date, namely Q, 54 and Manituana, most of the characters existed, most of the significant events really happened, and all of the fictitious elements are plausible in the context of the historical facts. What I enjoy about Wu Ming’s books is the way in which the fictional characters fit into the historical context and their actions appear to be essential to ensure the history turned out as it did.

From the very start the novel deals with the plight of Jews in Europe of the sixteenth century. show more Following the lives of a few Jewish characters Wu Ming describes the sense of always existing as an outsider under the sufferance of others and having the sense of always needing to be ready to move on. While Altai deals with the experience of Jews in Christian Europe and in the Muslim Ottoman Empire, the themes and messages of the story are applicable on a general basis to the political machinations in states, in businesses, or in organisations of any sort.

I do not like to present plot summaries in a review as I believe a significant part of the fun of reading is discovering the story as the author presents it to you, not as a reviewer abbreviates it. This is important in the case of Altai because the plot deals with political alliances on the personal level, within the state/empire, and across national borders. Intrigue is key to Altai, and the acute sense of paranoia felt by the conspirator is ever present. To give any hint of plot twists and turns would destroy the atmosphere developed by the Wu Ming authors and greatly diminish the fun to be had when reading this book.

In reviews I prefer to mention the themes dealt with, the messages that are being promoted, and my personal reaction to the book. Themes in Altai are the futility and horror of war, the sacrifices individuals make for beliefs they hold dear, the pain of unrequited love, and the personal disasters one can experience through mistakes made in the course of following one’s duties.

A key message is that the end does not justify the means. This message is clearly presented and it is extended to demonstrate that good intentions can lead to terrible things. It is easy to come away with a sense that the authors believe power corrupts, and absolute power…

On a personal level I really enjoyed this novel. It was more linear that other Wu Ming stories but I felt it was true to the collective’s style and quality. I am sure literary experts would find big faults with this book but I am unencumbered with the knowledge and views the literati would use to destroy the pleasure of this novel for themselves.

Footnote:
“Altai” was written by the authors of the “Wu Ming Foundation”. The Wu Ming Foundation is a group of Italian, radical authors who have collaborated on various projects since 1994. Originally the group used the name Luther Blissett (the name under which their first novel, Q, was published) and later, I believe as a result of some personnel changes, adopted the moniker of “Wu Ming”, which is, apparently, the Mandarin for anonymous. show less

I enjoyed this book but it was no patch on Q. For most of the novel the protagonist is an observer rather than a participant, and that damages the narrative a little. The final section [spoilers] draws us into Manuel's mind as he participates in a battle in an attempt to provide the information necessary to allow his side not to be defeated, and for that section the race-against-time aspect and the notion of sheer luck as a historical force is both powerful and dramatic. It is so well written that I can vividly see in my head the worlds of late medieval Istanbul and Venice, and it made me excited to learn more from conventional history books about Yossef Nasi, of whom I had never heard before.

Premessa: Altai non è Q, ma d'altronde neanche io sono la stessa persona che ha letto Q.
Avevo 20 anni allora e, per un ventenne esistono ancora miti inarrivabili. Ora di anni ne ho 41 e i miti inarrivabili non esistono più: le cose si analizzano in modo più attento e critico e i facili entusiasmi sono molto rari, non si tratta di aridità ma di maturità, la capacità di riconoscere le cose belle esiste ancora e Altai è proprio questo: un bellissimo romanzo.

This is - loosely - a sequel to Q. We move on from the brotherly bloodshed in Europe between Catholic and Protestant to the great tectonic plates of Ottoman versus Europe - the great religious wars when Islam battered the gates of Europe, with Venice at the cross roads of the empires and the Jews on the sidelines - or were they? It's a gripping tale of the extreme dangers of playing politics with the highest of stakes. And while we may know the outcome at a global level, at a personal level this is nail biting stuff

Ammetto di aver perso qualche colpo nei nomi, e nei motivi reconditi di qualche battaglia. Ma come si dice in questi casi, l'affresco storico è tratteggiato superbamente - e mi è venuta voglia di andare ad Istanbul in auto (cosa sono 9 ore di strada tra li' e Igoumenitsa?).
Bravissimi i quattro a introdurci nell'esotico mondo dei Sultani e dei Visir; bravissimi nel tenere i capitoli corti, per facilitare una storia che facile non è; bravissimi e basta.

sulla fascetta del volume occhieggia - a titolo di merito - una lapidaria stroncatura di Libero: Una boiata pazzesca.
Mi scoccia proprio di trovarmi in sintonia con la feccia del giornalismo italiano...

Atelier Altai charity auction book