Primo Levi uses his passion-chemistry- to write a semi-autobiographic book about his life. Using the elements on the periodic table as metaphors, Levi skillfully guides his readers through different events of his life in 21 short stories. He starts off with his family history in "Argon", a very dry and staid chapter. This is a great chapter for people with more analytical minds. However, if you are a fan of stories with more action and easier language, skip "Argon" and jump right into "Hydrogen", a far more interesting chapter. "Hydrogen" tells the tale of one of young Primo’s' chemistry experimentations. Other good chapters involving Lev's younger years include "Iron" which chronicles when he was being excluded in college because of his Jewish heritage.
Then the war begins and everything changes for Primo. In November 1944, Levi was captured and sent to a concentration camp- Auschwitz. The chapters "Gold" and "Cerium" deal with the horrific events he went through. Chemistry, his childhood love, is now the only savior from his harsh reality- the Holocaust. An important point to note is that Levi does not put as much detail into these chapters. Instead, the basic facts are dispensed, making "Gold" in particular the most powerful chapter in the book.
After Auschwitz Primo is a changed man. He tries to put his life back together, and gets a job in the chemistry field. He also begins to write as a way to escape his pain. When he finally seems to have his head above water, he has an encounter with a figure from his past in Auschwitz (Vanadium). This section of Primo's life is extremely uncomfortable to read, but impossible to put down.
Fictional tales are used with great effect in this book. There are only three chapter like this. The first two- " Lead" and "Mercury"- can be read as simple stories. But at second glance, it is obvious that these stories have a deeper meaning. Figuring them out is at turns infuriating and captivating.
The last chapter of The Periodic Table may be the most important. The third of the fictional chapters, "Carbon" chronicles the life of a carbon atom. It is a fitting conclusion of the Table because it successfully shares true message of the entire book. And when the reader understands the message, it becomes clear why Primo Levi's Periodic Table is one of the essential reading books of the world.
Jessica S. Batson
Primo Levi, was born on July 13, 1919, in Turin, Italy. He was part of a very liberal Jewish family in the northern part of Turin. Later on in his life, he enrolled into a secondary school, that was known for its very Anti-Fascist teachers, and well known authors. In 1937, Levi left the secondary school and went to the University of Turin to study Chemistry. And, as in stated in the book, around that time the government ruled that members of the Jewish community weren't allowed to attend school, and so Levi had to find a tutor who would tutor him, so he could finish his thesis, and graduate. After the long struggle, Levi found a tutor and wrote his thesis in Physics.
In 1944, Levi, along with thousands of other Jews were transported into Auschwitz, the biggest Holocaust camp. He was there for over 11 months, until they were liberated by the Russian Army, when Germany decided to invade Russia, and lost completely. After he was liberated, from the camp, Levi came down with Scarlet Fever, and was put into a Sanatorium. He recovered completely, and after he was better, he moved into a Soviet Camp for former Holocaust victims, and in late October of 1945 finally moved back to Turin, and resided there until his death. About a year after, Levi became an industrialist chemist at a local factor in Italy. As he was working, he began to write, some of the books he wrote were:
If This Is A Man
The Truce
Survival In Auschwitz
The Reawakening