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La chiave a stella
Faussone, detto Tino, il protagonista di questa «opera prima» di Primo Levi, ovvero del suo primo romanzo d'invenzione, è un operaio specializzato che si lascia alle spalle la dura esperienza della catena di montaggio alla Lancia e gira per il mondo a montare gru, ponti sospesi, strutture metalliche, impianti petroliferi. Il romanzo racconta la sua vita e il suo una sorta di Odissea moderna con protagonista una specie di Ulisse che dall'India alla Russia, dall'Alaska all'Africa offre agli altri la sua voglia di fare e la sua tecnica e che Levi racconta con gusto e ironia, immedesimandosi nel personaggio e nelle sue avventure.
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Published September 17, 2025
About the author
Primo Levi
178 books2,352 followersPrimo Levi was an Italian Jewish chemist, writer, and Holocaust survivor whose literary work has had a profound impact on how the world understands the Holocaust and its aftermath. Born in Turin in 1919, he studied chemistry at the University of Turin and graduated in 1941. During World War II, Levi joined the Italian resistance, but was captured by Fascist forces in 1943. Because he was Jewish, he was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944, where he endured ten harrowing months before being liberated by the Red army.
After the war, Levi returned to Turin and resumed work as a chemist, but also began writing about his experiences. His first book, If This Is a Man (published in the U.S. as Survival in Auschwitz), is widely regarded as one of the most important Holocaust memoirs ever written. Known for its clarity, restraint, and moral depth, the book offers a powerful testimony of life inside the concentration camp. Levi went on to write several more works, including The Truce, a sequel recounting his long journey home after liberation, and The Periodic Table, a unique blend of memoir and scientific reflection, in which each chapter is named after a chemical element.
Throughout his writing, Levi combined scientific precision with literary grace, reflecting on human dignity, morality, and survival. His later works included fiction, essays, and poetry, all characterized by his lucid style and philosophical insight. Levi also addressed broader issues of science, ethics, and memory, positioning himself as a key voice in post-war European literature.
Despite his success, Levi struggled with depression in his later years, and in 1987 he died after falling from the stairwell of his apartment building in Turin. While officially ruled a suicide, the exact circumstances of his death remain a subject of debate. Nevertheless, his legacy endures. Primo Levi’s body of work remains essential reading for its deep humanity, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to bearing witness.
After the war, Levi returned to Turin and resumed work as a chemist, but also began writing about his experiences. His first book, If This Is a Man (published in the U.S. as Survival in Auschwitz), is widely regarded as one of the most important Holocaust memoirs ever written. Known for its clarity, restraint, and moral depth, the book offers a powerful testimony of life inside the concentration camp. Levi went on to write several more works, including The Truce, a sequel recounting his long journey home after liberation, and The Periodic Table, a unique blend of memoir and scientific reflection, in which each chapter is named after a chemical element.
Throughout his writing, Levi combined scientific precision with literary grace, reflecting on human dignity, morality, and survival. His later works included fiction, essays, and poetry, all characterized by his lucid style and philosophical insight. Levi also addressed broader issues of science, ethics, and memory, positioning himself as a key voice in post-war European literature.
Despite his success, Levi struggled with depression in his later years, and in 1987 he died after falling from the stairwell of his apartment building in Turin. While officially ruled a suicide, the exact circumstances of his death remain a subject of debate. Nevertheless, his legacy endures. Primo Levi’s body of work remains essential reading for its deep humanity, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to bearing witness.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 11, 2026
Nella scrittura di Levi c'é il meglio di cosa potrebbe voler dire 'essere italiani', e un'identità nazionale che sarebbe bello costruire. Ma ancora prima di questo, ci sono riflessioni sull'uomo e sul lavoro e sul mondo in cui questi due temi siano inestricabilmente legati.
La chiave a stella è un libro che forse non avrei capito prima di aver maturato anche io qualche esperienza lavorativa 'formativa'. La scrittura di Levi rimane potente a mezzo secolo di distanza, un dato importante: perché nella Chiave a Stella Levi esprime di voler lasciare il lavoro di chimico per essere uno scrittore a tempo pieno.
Andrà come andrà. Ma è bello iniziare l'anno con un capolavoro, per pulirsi il palato.
La chiave a stella è un libro che forse non avrei capito prima di aver maturato anche io qualche esperienza lavorativa 'formativa'. La scrittura di Levi rimane potente a mezzo secolo di distanza, un dato importante: perché nella Chiave a Stella Levi esprime di voler lasciare il lavoro di chimico per essere uno scrittore a tempo pieno.
Andrà come andrà. Ma è bello iniziare l'anno con un capolavoro, per pulirsi il palato.
Displaying 1 of 1 review