With the moral stamina and intellectual pose of a twentieth-century Titan, this slightly built, duitful, unassuming chemist set out systematically to remember the German hell on earth, steadfastly to think it through, and then to render it comprehensible in lucid, unpretentious prose. He was profoundly in touch with the minutest workings of the most endearing human events and with the most contempible. What has survived in Levi's writing isn't just his memory of the unbearable, but also, in THE PERIODIC TABLE and THE WRENCH, his delight in what made the world exquisite to him. He was himself a "magically endearing man, the most delicately forceful enchanter I've ever known" - PHILIP ROTH
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
The death of Primo Levi robs Italy of one of its finest writers...One of the few survivors of the Holocaust to speak of his experiences with a gentle voice GUARDIAN A life-changing book. Daily Express THE TRUCE: 'One of the century's truly necessary books.' Philip Roth 'One of the greatest human testaments of the era.'
About the Author
Primo Levi was born in Turin in 1919 and trained as chemist. Arrested a member of the anti-fascist resistance during the war, he was deported to Auschwitz. His experiences there are described in his two classic autobiographical works, IF THIS IS A MAN and THE TRUCE.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A truly amazing book - I cannot promise that you will enjoy it, in fact I can almost guarantee that you will find most of it heart-breaking and painful.
It is a little like watching Kieslowski's A Short Film About Killing - on many levels you do not enjoy it but it enthrals you. The subject matter is so important and it is so beautifully made and eloquent that you feel compelled to watch (or read in the case of Levi).
Levi tells the story of his own internment in Auschwitz - he concentrates on the details of everyday life slowing building a vivid picture of how the Nazis were intent on not just killing them but breaking their spirit, humiliating them, degrading them. He captures many moments so well that they live on in the mind, for example when he describes how the terrible regime made Jew turn on Jew. He even manages to raise a guilty smile occasionally. For example, he describes the second worst thing that could happen at night was to take out the toilet bucket as it was always full to overflowing and would spill on your feet. The worst thing was when your bunkmate took it out as they shared bunks sleeping head to toe.
Levi is a fantastic writer (try the Periodic Table if you want to read something easier and more enjoyable) with a light touch. He describes his time in Auschwitz calmly, clearly, with great compassion but remarkably objectively; he gives the reader space to think and understand.
A work of heart-breaking genius
It is a little like watching Kieslowski's A Short Film About Killing - on many levels you do not enjoy it but it enthrals you. The subject matter is so important and it is so beautifully made and eloquent that you feel compelled to watch (or read in the case of Levi).
Levi tells the story of his own internment in Auschwitz - he concentrates on the details of everyday life slowing building a vivid picture of how the Nazis were intent on not just killing them but breaking their spirit, humiliating them, degrading them. He captures many moments so well that they live on in the mind, for example when he describes how the terrible regime made Jew turn on Jew. He even manages to raise a guilty smile occasionally. For example, he describes the second worst thing that could happen at night was to take out the toilet bucket as it was always full to overflowing and would spill on your feet. The worst thing was when your bunkmate took it out as they shared bunks sleeping head to toe.
Levi is a fantastic writer (try the Periodic Table if you want to read something easier and more enjoyable) with a light touch. He describes his time in Auschwitz calmly, clearly, with great compassion but remarkably objectively; he gives the reader space to think and understand.
A work of heart-breaking genius
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Primo Levi is the most insightful, pragmatic realist of all holocaust authors. I have read more than 50 books on the subject, and his insights into what happened, human nature, the (bad) luck of the draw, and the tragedy of his experience are brilliant and by far the most articulate. Somehow, perhaps with his scientific mind, Levi was able to maintain his awareness through an experience that is utterly beyond the scope of imagination. He somehow emerges from the ashes of this horrific epoch like a literary phoenix. He doesn't dwell on the inhuman acts and suffering, although he has a perfect right to do so, but instead offers his account almost from an omniscient perspective. This book contains the best of Primo Levi, but his other writings demand to be read as well. And, if you haven't seen The Truce, starring John Turturro, you should do so. It's not a hundred percent historically accurate, but it is a great presentation.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By Edmund Khoo
Format:Paperback
Primo Levi's "If This is a Man" and "The Truce" remain one of the most horrifyingly realistic depictions of life in Auschwitz. Primo Levi recounts the daily ordeals of life in Auschwitz with a stirring and poignant narration, concentrating on not only the physical and emotional hardship but on another level questioning plainly what it is to be human. Both books present an illuminating view into life in a prison camp, and Primo Levi's narration ensure that no suffering remains untold. An illuminating read.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!
I watched the movie, "The Truce," and was captivated. I had to have the book. It surpassed my expectations. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Catpurloo
5.0 out of 5 stars
perfect
I dontl think a better book has ever been written on the subject. harrowign is the word that springs to mind. Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. I. Sherwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Look in the Mirror, Do not reply!
Primo Levi, If This is a Man
Because he was a chemical engineer and because he was lucky Primo Levi survived the death camps. Read more
Because he was a chemical engineer and because he was lucky Primo Levi survived the death camps. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. D. James
5.0 out of 5 stars
primo levi
His writings transport me along side him during this most inhumane time of his life. Great Author. Great Insight. Highly recommend.
Published 3 months ago by Raine Booklover
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brought you into the man's world
yes he is a man...a tough unbelievable bigger than life itself ..too bad he couldn't live with his memories and had to end a talented and genius gift
Published 5 months ago by scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rocked
By this book. Emotional impact without the dramatics. It left me thinking. And shaken. I have since picked up more of his writings. Recommend.
Published 6 months ago by Joyce Butler Nichols
3.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful, despite poor translation.
The translator seems to have improved his skills by the time he got to "The Truce," but even with the uneven translation, reading Primo Levi's first-person, two-part account of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by darkleafygreens
5.0 out of 5 stars
174517
That was the number tattooed on Primo Levi's left arm when he was processed into Auschwitz in February 1944. Read more
Published on April 11, 2011 by R. M. Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read private history
Primo Levi's book is as good as it gets. It is demoralizing and up-lifting, and should be read by anyone interested in history of life in a German concentration camp and the... Read more
Published on February 1, 2011 by Phil_lips
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book that needs to be read!!!!!!
This is a masterpiece that everybody should read. It detailed the way of living in the horrific Auschwitz.
Published on October 23, 2010 by Latina
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