Altai: A Novel

By Wu Ming and Shaun Whiteside

When a fire rips through the Venetian Arsenal in 1569, the enigmatic Emanuele De Zante, spy-catcher and secret agent, is betrayed by his lover, imprisoned, and accused of treason. Given the chance to escape, he embarks on a trans-European odyssey that will test his loyalty and force him to question even his own identity.

Through a series of deadly political games leading all the way to the Sultan’s palace in Constantinople, De Zante and his companions spiral headfirst toward a conflict in which the great empires of the Republic of Venice and the Ottomans threaten the very foundations of civilization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781781682425

Wu Ming

Wu Ming es el seudónimo de un grupo de narradores italianos que trabajan de forma colectiva desde hace años. En 1999, con el nombre de Luther Blissett, publicaron la novela Q. En 2003, ya con su nuevo nombre, publicaron 54, a la que han seguido Manituana, Altai  y El Ejército de los Sonámbulos, esta última publicada por Anagrama, además de las colecciones de relatos Anatra all’arancia meccanica y L’invisibile ovunque y de algunos ensayos, así como de algunos «objetos narrativos no identificados» (Asce di guerra) y de los libros para niños de la serie Cantalamappa. También han escrito con el cineasta Guido Chiesa el guión de la película Lavorare con lentezza. Además, varios miembros del colectivo han publicado diversas obras de manera individual.

Reviews for Altai

[pgmcc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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. 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.