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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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.’ )
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.’ )
Book Description
Primo Levi's classic memoir of The Camps.
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IN 1943 Primo Levi, a young chemist from Turin, helped to form a partisan band which he and his comrades hoped would eventually be affiliated with the Resistance movement 'Justice and Liberty'. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
IN 1943 Primo Levi, a young chemist from Turin, helped to form a partisan band which he and his comrades hoped would eventually be affiliated with the Resistance movement 'Justice and Liberty'. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
90 of 92 people found the following review helpful
By nirdle
Format:Paperback
If this book is not on the national curriculum as essential reading for the European History module, then it should be. Before I bought this book, I asked myself "did I want to read another book on the Holocaust"? This isn't neccessarily about the Holocaust, in fact, a small portion of the book takes place in Auschwitz, it's more about one mans survival through hell, uncertainty and the unknown. Yet, because it is beautifully written, it uplifts, rather than depresses the reader. Levis' gentle prose style and almost photographic memory make this book a must read. It's a book that I will read many times throughout my life. Buy it!
65 of 67 people found the following review helpful
By T
Format:Paperback
I cannot praise this book highly enough.
Levi describes his time in Auschwitz with such clarity and objectivity it's as if he wanted to report the facts and let the world make it's own mind up. Having said that this is not a cold, clinical account, as with reportage, as Levi describes great compassion in friendships he makes and horror he sees.
His story is similar to many others (obviously as they all shared an experience) but I felt as though I was given a different perspective with this book.
This becomes clearer at the back of the book when Levi sets out a series of questions that he has been asked since he wrote the first edition. Here he gives answers to letters asking "Do you hate the Germans" and so on. I won't spoil the book by revealing any of his answers but they show why Levi is so respected as a writer of the Holocaust.
Since reading this I have read many of Levi's works and would suggest reading the 'Drowned and the Saved' which goes deeper into the people he met and contains an excellent chapter on how he survived while his friend was sent on the Death March when the camp was liquidated.
69 of 72 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I approached If This Is A Man with a certain amount of weariness. There have been countless films and books and TV programmes about the Holocaust, so what would one more book on the subject present? The answer to that is that If This Is a Man brings a real sense of the horror of Auschwitz to the reader. The figure of 6 million dead almost de-humanises the de-humanised: it is easy to rattle off that figure without actually thinking about the impact of separation, suffering and murder on an individual human being. This book hits the reader with the stark realities of day to day existence within the concentration camp.
Levi describes the nearest thing to Hell. Working to exhaustion in the freezing cold of winter, the beatings to which prisoners have become accustomed, lice and dirt, perpetual hunger and having to go to the 'toilet' several times during the night because of the heavily watered down soup. This latter task involves a hobble through the snow in a pair of wooden shoes (one pair per hut) to use a bucket which, if full, must be emptied by the unfortunate prisoner, who will try in vain not to spill the contents on his feet. Levi puts everything of our lives into the perspective of his as a prisoner. As prisoners slept head to foot next to each other, it was always better to empty the pail than to sleep next to someone who has just emptied it.
Levi deatils the average life expectancy of a healthy human being who does not find himself a niche or with something unique to offer. It is a shocking read, and while desperate to reach the end and find something to be optimistic about, the book held my attention from cover to cover.
... Read more ›10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book is a compilation of two books, initially published separately, namely "If this is a man" and "The truce". The first book is an autobiographical account of the approximately 11 months he spent at a concentration camp in Auschwitz. The second book is an account of his long journey home, administered by the russians, which takes him on several detours around Russia and Europe before returning to his home in Turin, Italy.
In "If this is a man", Levi describes the conditions at Auschwitz, right from his arrival, at which point he has no idea what a concentration camp is, let alone that such things exist, until his departure 11 months later by the hands of the russians. The conditions are, obviously, horrendous. Levi describes this unemotionally and soberly, and the lack of hyperbole makes the account all the more eerie and unpleasant. The most notable property of the account is his description of the effect of the camp on himself and his fellow prisoners. He analyzes what traits make people liable to die quickly, what traits make people liable to degenerate to animals, and what traits make it possible for people to survive Auschwitz without losing their humanity. In this sense, Levi turns the story of Auschwitz into a profound parable of the basest and the noblest in human nature.
The second book, "The truce", describes Levi's journey home. The conditions are not as dire as those encountered in the camp. What makes the book very interesting is the description of the breakdown of society after the war. The russian administration appears to have very little coordination as regards their transportation of the concentration camp victims. The small societies which Levi and his companions pass through are often ravaged by war and abandoned.... Read more ›
In "If this is a man", Levi describes the conditions at Auschwitz, right from his arrival, at which point he has no idea what a concentration camp is, let alone that such things exist, until his departure 11 months later by the hands of the russians. The conditions are, obviously, horrendous. Levi describes this unemotionally and soberly, and the lack of hyperbole makes the account all the more eerie and unpleasant. The most notable property of the account is his description of the effect of the camp on himself and his fellow prisoners. He analyzes what traits make people liable to die quickly, what traits make people liable to degenerate to animals, and what traits make it possible for people to survive Auschwitz without losing their humanity. In this sense, Levi turns the story of Auschwitz into a profound parable of the basest and the noblest in human nature.
The second book, "The truce", describes Levi's journey home. The conditions are not as dire as those encountered in the camp. What makes the book very interesting is the description of the breakdown of society after the war. The russian administration appears to have very little coordination as regards their transportation of the concentration camp victims. The small societies which Levi and his companions pass through are often ravaged by war and abandoned.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing look into mankinds analysis of oneself
The best book I have EVER read. Takes quite a lot of re-reading but well worth it. Incredibly well written, cannot praise the author enough, such a shame he didn't write more. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Allison M Duncan
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than a book...
I decided to buy this book some years ago because it speaks about many true stories, one in particular, within the History. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Giuply
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recieved in good condition and packaged well
I havent read this yet ...I have to spend some time in hospital so will be taking it in with me...reviews are very very good so I look forward to reading it!
Published 23 days ago by starlight
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for everybody
This should be compulsory reading for anyone learning about the holocaust. Primo Levi not only describes his experiences but also why humans act and react in the way that they do. Read more
Published 1 month ago by RCUK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why not on Kindle?
Great book, but why not on Kindle? The editions in other languages are. Such a shame that the book's readership is being restricted in this way.
Published 2 months ago by James
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frightening
An excellent thought provoking read. Really makes you appreciate that no matter how bad life seems to be it can always get worse. What a blessing it is to live in a free society.
Published 2 months ago by Taekwon
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Drowned and the Saved
An excellent book. I first read it in 1981, stranded in Paris for nearly 24 hours on a flight from Geneva to London because Gatwick was fogbound, and when I saw recently that it... Read more
Published 2 months ago by A. Gilmore
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Book
This is an amazing book - such honesty in every page. Its very raw and affecting - everyone should read it.
Published 3 months ago by Ms. HR Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
This is an amazing book I only wish I had read it earlier in my life it would have clarified much.
Published 4 months ago by smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read
Another brill book Sad how one nation can be so cruel to another but it also shows how strong people can be during testing Times.
Published 4 months ago by J. F. Mcgeachy
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