Primo Levi was among the greatest witnesses to twentieth-century atrocity. In this gripping novel, based on a true story, he reveals the extraordinary lives of the Russian, Polish and Jewish partisans trapped behind enemy lines during the Second World War. Wracked by fear, hunger and fierce rivalries, they link up, fall apart, struggle to stay alive and to sabotage the efforts of the all-powerful German army. A compelling tale of action, resistance and epic adventure, it also reveals Levi's characteristic compassion and deep insight into the moral dilemmas of total war. It ranks alongside THE PERIOD TABLE and IF THIS IS A MAN as one of the rare authentic masterpieces of our times.
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This book achieves many things - too many, really, to itemise ... yet one is left with an enormous sense of optimism and gratitude to the author (LISTENER )
Levi is a master whose hand never slips... I was convinced by every detail, and absurdly shaken to realise at the end that it was indeed fiction, however well grounded in fact. I knew these people, and I wanted to know more (THE TIMES )
Levi writes of unimaginable hardships ... and of exhilaration... (FINANCIAL TIMES )
A novel full of horrors, but wonderfully uplifting and optimistic in its tribute to the human spirit. (SUNDAY TIMES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Levi is a master whose hand never slips... I was convinced by every detail, and absurdly shaken to realise at the end that it was indeed fiction, however well grounded in fact. I knew these people, and I wanted to know more (THE TIMES )
Levi writes of unimaginable hardships ... and of exhilaration... (FINANCIAL TIMES )
A novel full of horrors, but wonderfully uplifting and optimistic in its tribute to the human spirit. (SUNDAY TIMES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
*The story of a group of Partisan guerillas in Poland during WW2 - by the master of holocaust writing.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By Medea Dingo
Format:Paperback
This work of fiction from Primo Levi documents the journey accross Europe of a band of partisans caught behind enemy lines during World War Two. The story is based upon truth, after Levi himself encountered young, hopeful Zionists whilst trying to get back to Italy after his internment in Auschwitz. The novel pulls no punches; it gives an honest account of the conditions the partisans find themselves in; often starving and hungry, living in underground camps or shot down aeroplanes, they are relentlessly brave and determined to survive. It may be a work of fiction, but as an insight into the war of the largely unsung heroes of the resistance movement of Eastern Europe, and the survival story of the Jewish community that lived upon their wits in the woods of Poland and Russia, it is noteworthy. It took Primo Levi over a year to return home to Italy after the war, and on the way he was to hear many stories of survival, as well as having his own adventures.It is written in a style those who have previously read Levi will be familiar with, it is both compelling and compassionate, whilst retaining the distance a scientist puts between himself and his work. Levi addresses one of the recurring themes of his work - how does man act during adverse circumstances? What happens to our morality during war? Relationships are forged and broken, and both the best and the worst of human nature is depicted and, ultimately, that is what makes Levi one of the most important writers of the twentieth century: his examination of the human condition. I would recommend this book, and all his other works, to anyone.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Gareth Smyth
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'If Not Now, When?' is a novel from a man better known for non-fiction, and Primo Levi shows awesome ability to build character, describe landscape and develop atmosphere. His subject is the Jewish partisans who harried German forces in eastern Europe - perhaps, as Mark Mazower suggests in his introduction - to recall a history of resistance that is less well-known than the history of suffering and in effect to mark an alternative life that Levi himself did not have the chance to live.
Levi has taken much trouble in his historical research (and includes a short bibliography for further reading) but it is the selfsame piercing humanity that lifts his non-fiction to such heights that also makes this fiction so compelling. 'If Not Now, When?' remains very much a book about the Jews while expressing wider human truths about friendship, compromise and survival.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Of all his books, this is the one I found the most heart wrenching. How such a small group of people, Russians and Poles, in an extremely dangerous situation i.e. trapped in occupied territory, found the courage to continue the fight of resistance. It is all the more remarkable because it is based on a true story.
This is a heart wrenching yet inspiring story of courage and solidarity and my favorite Primo Levi book, with some of the most poignant lines of poetry . . .'If not now when, if not this way how? if I am not for myself who will be for me . . . '
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
I liked it
This is a well crafted book from someone who knows the skill in writing well. I guess whether you like a book or not is down to personal choice; I'm a critical so and so, but I... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Nogbad the Bad
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good read
Primo Levi wrights a good story and this is no exception. The horror of war is told in a gentle none judgemental way and the characters warmth always shines. Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2011 by Audax Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
I think that this book is incredibly profound. It jumped off the bookshelf into my hands many years ago and because I found so thought provoking and challenging I lent it to many... Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2009 by K. Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Realistic and captivating
This novel is thoroughly researched by a highly sympathetic author. The writing is compelling and the subject matter less familiar than his holocaust material.
Published on 10 Feb 2009 by ajk77
5.0 out of 5 stars
A novel with the ring of truth
My review of 'Mila 18' by Leon Uris seems to have got lost somewhere in cyberspace. Never mind. If you want to read a book about a group of Jews fighting back during WWII, this... Read more
Published on 18 April 2007 by John Williams
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