Book Review: "Q" by Luther Blissett

Note: this is another long review because I was kind of lost in and out of this book for about a week or so. I have a lot to talk about...

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Have you ever been recommended a book by someone and you can't stop thinking about it because they've made it sound kind of stirring? Well, this is what happened to me. I hadn't even heard of this book before but I felt myself unable to stop thinking about it after it had been brought up in conversation. Historical works often bury themselves beneath my skin if they are good enough - though it's rare that they capture my attention with so much obsessiveness. I've enjoyed works by Philippa Gregory, Allison Weir and even yes, Ken Follett in the past, but I had never heard of Luther Blissett before...

Note: This novel is about one man's search the elusive "Q" and though he himself is very interesting, I don't want to give away too much of the story and so, will be saving certain plot points here and there for when you, reader, come to read this book. I have very purposefully made things obscure for you. Please do not hate me. There is a hunt and a game, there are two disguised unnamed men, and an increasingly unstable Europe is the chessboard...

The novel begins at the point of absolute carnage during the Protestant Reformation and is set across several cities. Europe is riddled with corruption, frustration, unrest and political uprisings everywhere we look and as the readers, we are thrown into the middle - we wait for nothing. We are blinded by the atmosphere of all-out war.

The novel introduces us to a young, radical Anabaptist who becomes involved in the anti-establishment movements sweeping the continent and we teeter on the hinges of institutional power being rivalled by revolutionaries, rising up from various spaces on the continent. Conspiracies are whispered, letters are brandished and people are slaughtered. This is a world where it is clear that you must kill or be killed and that personal ambition, religion and immorality have basically clashed to create something far more sinister and frightening.

The protagonist, a radical reformer, becomes a target for both religious authorities and political powers, particularly the forces loyal to the Catholic Church. Early on in the story, he has multiple identities - there are so many versions of himself that he adopts that even the reader isn't sure whether they know who he is. This adds to the overarching theme of disguise and anonymity - one that constantly becomes revisited and revised throughout the novel - a key way characters avoid being captured.

As he flees, he witnesses the violent suppression of revolts, including the infamous Münster Rebellion, providing him (and us) with a front-row view of the brutality inherent in both religious and state power. These formative experiences shape him into a cunning, elusive figure capable of manoeuvring within clandestine networks of dissent. By searching the enemy and papal informer “Q,” he basically becomes the resistance, embodying the tension between personal survival and ideological commitment. There are huge moral compromises that also take place in the text - a symbol of how far one must go to stay hidden and stay alive.

The protagonist eventually arrives in Venice, a city dominated by commerce, secrecy, and political dynamics beyond a normal person's control. Here, he becomes part of the world of espionage, working as a spy for various factions, including radical reformers and foreign powers. Venice’s labyrinthine canals and shadowed alleys are part of the atmosphere, representing the convoluted and deceptive world of intelligence he must navigate.

It all feels extremely sinister again - as though we are constantly under threat of this character being exposed. We are also met with constant images of violence and vitriol - part of the strange and twisted cult-like world of ideology, belonging and the establishment. Through espionage, he gains insight into the corruption of religious authorities and the ruthless twists of city-states seeking to exploit revolutionary movements for their own gain. This emphasises how information becomes a weapon, with the protagonist manipulating and being manipulated in turn.

The protagonist’s journey next takes him to Antwerp, a hub of printing and radical thought, where he witnesses the power of the press in shaping public opinion and fomenting dissent. The text shows how the revolutionary potential of printed material: pamphlets, broadsheets, and clandestine books, could challenge established authorities and spread reformist or heretical ideas. This is definitely true of many of the texts during the time - some of which we can think about are legal texts but also the (controversial at the time) Lutheran theses. All of which wanted to have their purpose but were shaded in strangeness as well, whether it be back then or in our own time. We become witnesses to how fast ideology can actually spread through these means and are invited to critique our own masses of misinformation.

In Antwerp, he becomes increasingly involved in intellectual networks, using his knowledge and subterfuge to influence both political and religious discourse. There is this intertwining of propaganda, politics, power and ideological prominence that goes on throughout the text, but it is here more vividly than anywhere else. Critical thinking becomes a weapon, one that people use to stir political and social unrest - one that people use to fight injustice. The protagonist sharpens his skills in manipulation, espionage, and ideological warfare, leveraging both intellect and cunning to navigate these widening and ever more treacherous social currents.

The novel also revisits one of the most infamous episodes in Anabaptist history: the Münster Rebellion. The protagonist, through his network of contacts, is drawn into the events surrounding the radical takeover of Münster, a city in Westphalia. Here, Anabaptist leaders attempt to establish a theocratic state, implementing communal property and strict religious observance. The rebellion is both idealistic and tragically violent, ultimately crushed by forces loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor. The protagonist is on the sidelines, in the action and observing all, commenting and manipulating the whole way through. The scene reeks of moral ambiguity and there are moments of siege warfare, execution and purgings. A merciless nature of political conflict is driven forward by acts of holy terror in the name of God. The invites of devastation don't end there though, there are so many more to come...

As the protagonist moves through the territories of the Holy Roman Empire, he encounters a web of alliances, betrayals, and political manoeuvres. Local princes, merchants, and church officials each seek to exploit the instability for personal gain, creating a shifting landscape where loyalties are uncertain and betrayal is commonplace. There is definitely a pragmatism to his survival as he steps through 'commitments' and 'promises' whilst staying hidden in true face. But then again, who isn't doing this? The forging of temporary alliances and the hidden truths that encompass this book are brought to the forefront here where we are shown again how this is an absolute must for survival and the gathering of information - something the protagonist has become better at as the book has progressed.

This depicts the ruthlessness of political calculation, illustrating the fragility of trust in a society governed by suspicion, fear, and ambition. These moments also emphasise the protagonist’s cunning and moral flexibility: he uses deception, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering to navigate perilous situations, yet is always aware that others are employing similar tactics.

In a Europe dominated by surveillance, suspicion, and persecution, identity becomes both a shield and a weapon. This is portrayed by how the protagonist navigates the uncertainty of trust and loyalty, constantly evaluating whether to reveal or conceal his true motives. This extends to the revolutionary networks he engages with, where outward appearances mask hidden agendas. Through these layers of deception, the shady characters of the novel become symbols for interrogating the nature of authenticity, morality, and agency.

Identity is therefore, performative: it is constructed in response to circumstance, opportunity, and threat. The protagonist’s disguise shows his adaptability and intelligence, allowing him to operate within overlapping political, religious, and social spheres. The author though, definitely does not let us forget that throughout this, there are images of violence in which the protagonist must reconcile with himself - a moral compromise that the reader cannot simply ignore.

The protagonist becomes an important character in a transnational web of radicals, revolutionaries, and dissidents, connecting movements in Germany, Italy, the Low Countries, and beyond. The novel is even more rife with instability as the very table on which the religiosity of Europe stands on begins to shake and crack with unbridled anger and chaos. We get to explore the dynamics of secret societies, conspiracies, and espionage, showing how revolutionary ideas circulate, mutate, and inspire growing levels of action.

The protagonist, through his strategic cunning, influences the course of events while maintaining his anonymity. His moral ambiguity also becomes most apparent here: he is simultaneously a champion of radical causes and a manipulator exploiting circumstances for survival and influence. There is a definite cost of radicalism as idealism is often bashed to death by brutal reality and scenes of terrifying warfare. We are being taught that historical ideas are not just shaped by people in power sitting around and having a discussion, but that they are made out on the battlefield and in the hushed tones of those who walk in many layers of disguise, deceiving everyone around them.

I'm not going to tell you how this finishes but it is definitely worth the wait. This book seriously changed the way I looked at history and the people involved in it. History is perhaps a lot more brutal, deceptive and horrifying than we like to think about - but it is definitely a part of what we have come to be today. The story might be changed over the years, but the reality isn't going to change any time soon.