A review by bonesandmountains
Il sistema periodico by Primo Levi

5.0

This books speaks of many things. Episodes of Levi's life, from his family and the region where he grew up (Piemonte my beloved), to his school years and life under fascism, and then to the aftermath of the holocaust, with only a few pages of what happened in between. It's the story of a life, and of how the human life is so closely tied to the elements that build the world. It feels like Levi is simply pointing out connections that were already there, that would have been there even if he hadn't been a chemist, that we could find too if we looked a little bit closer.

There's something hypnotic in Levi's writing too. While he's often praised for his books, I think he deserves more credit than what he gets for being so good at stringing on word after the other, for making every small event engaging.