The Black Hole of Auschwitz

by Primo Levi

The Black Hole of Auschwitz brings together Levi’s writings on the Holocaust and his experiences of the concentration camp, as well as those on his own accidental status as a writer and his chosen profession of chemist. In this book Levi rails intelligently and eloquently against what he saw as the ebb of compassion and interest in the Holocaust, and the yearly assault on the veracity and moral weight of the testimonies of its survivors. For Levi, to keep writing and, through writing, to understand why the Holocaust could happen, was nothing less than a safeguard against the loss of a collective memory of the atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people.
This moving book not only reveals the care and conviction with which he wrote about the Holocaust, but also shows the range of Levi’s interests and the skill, thoughtfulness and sensitivity he brought to all his subjects. The consistency and moral force of Levi’s reflections and the clarity and intimacy of his style will make this book appeal to a wide readership, including those who have read and been moved by his masterpiece If This is a Man.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, Memoir, History

207 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2004

About the author

Primo 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.

Reviews

[Miste · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a harrowing account of Primo Levi's experience in Auschwitz near the end of the war. He had been part of the Italian resistance and was caputured in 1944. He survived in Auschwitz because of his education in chemistry basically and through sheer dumb luck. He does a good job of explaining how the prisoners lose their identity and humanness. Very well written.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of Levi's previously published writings (essays, newspaper articles, prefaces to books, etc.). There is no narrative arc to help readers through and the writing is dense, as short pieces tend to be, but the effort is worth it. Split into two halves with the first focusing on Auschwitz, I found myself at mid-point feeling worn out by the weight of what it must have been to be (and be known as) a Holocaust survivor, especially the relentless effort to defend the reality of what happened to him.

I was glad for the relief and the variety of the second half. Trying to plow through the scientifically thick Asymmetry and Life, this climactic line made me smile: "Clearly the D-lactate of D-cinconica is the antipode of the S-lactate of S-cinconica, and not of the S-lactate of D-cinconica," not because I had any clue what it meant but because it so clearly exemplified his absorption (flow) in the topic. In other places there is an effacing wit: "...how easy it is to give Greek names to things we do not understand, to give us the illusion we understand them better!" and acidly funny commentary: "I have never seen an exhibition as clumsy and as pointless as the one currently cluttering up the Societa Promotrice delle Belle Arti in Turin, extended goodness knows why and for how long, and baldly called 'Dreadful machines of torture throughout history.'"

Of the many passages worth quoting, there is this remarkable one written less than twenty years after Liberation: "I have never harbored a sense of hatred towards the German people, and had this been the case I would certainly be cured of it by now, after meeting you...But I can't say I understand the Germans, and something which cannot be understood constitutes an aching emptiness, a painful stinging, a permanent stimulus that demands to be satisfied." He is at once honest and unflinching without being reductive--he retains a dimensional perspective and is able to write with both generosity and clear-sighted criticism. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work (probably after taking a break with a bit lighter fare though...).

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a translation of the Italian "L'asimmetria e la vita"(Asymmetry and Life) which is the title of one of the pieces in this collection. I presume they chose to release the translation with the title of another of the pieces for sales purposes.