Synopses & Reviews
A Tranquil Star, the first new American collection of Primo Levi previously untranslated fiction to appear since 1990, affirms his position as one of the twentieth century's most enduring writers. These seventeen stories, first published in Italian between 1949 and 1986, demonstrate Levi's extraordinary range, taking the reader from the primal resistance of a captured partisan fighter to a middle-aged chemist experimenting with a new paint that wards off evil, to the lustful thoughts of an older man obsessed with a mysterious woman in a seaside villa. In the title story, Levi demonstrates his unerringly tragic understanding of the fragility of the universe through the tale of a pensive astronomer, terrified by the possibility that a long-dormant star might explode and reduce the entire planet to vapor. This remarkable new collection affirms Italo Calvino's conviction that Levi was "one of the most important and gifted writers of our time."
Synopsis
The first English publication of seventeen classic Primo Levi stories marks the twentieth anniversary of his death.
Synopsis
These seventeen stories, first published in Italian between 1949 and 1986, demonstrate Levi's extraordinary range, taking the reader from the primal resistance of a captured partisan fighter to a middle-aged chemist experimenting with a new paint that wards off evil, to the lustful thoughts of an older man obsessed with a mysterious woman in a seaside villa. In the title story, Levi demonstrates his unerringly tragic understanding of the fragility of the universe through the tale of a pensive astronomer, terrified by the possibility that a long-dormant star might explode and reduce the entire planet to vapor. This remarkable new collection affirms Italo Calvino's conviction that Levi was "one of the most important and gifted writers of our time."
Synopsis
ATranquil Star, the first new American collection of Primo Levi previously untranslated fiction toappear since 1990, affirms hisposition as one of thetwentieth century's most enduringwriters. These seventeen stories, firstpublished in Italianbetween 1949 and 1986, demonstrate Levi's extraordinary range, takingthe reader from the primalresistance of acapturedpartisan fighter to a middle-agedchemist experimenting with a new paintthatwards off evil, to the lustful thoughts of anolderman obsessed with a mysterious woman in aseaside villa. In the title story, Levidemonstrates hisunerringly tragic understandingof the fragility of the universe through thetaleof a pensive astronomer, terrified by thepossibility that a long-dormant star mightexplode and reduce the entireplanet to vapor. Thisremarkable new collection affirms ItaloCalvino's conviction that Levi wasone ofthe most important andgifted writers of ourtime.
Synopsis
These seventeen stories, first published in Italian between 1949 and 1986, demonstrate Levi's extraordinary range, taking the reader from the primal resistance of a captured partisan fighter to a middle-aged chemist experimenting with a new paint that wards off evil, to the lustful thoughts of an older man obsessed with a mysterious woman in a seaside villa. In the title story, Levi demonstrates his unerringly tragic understanding of the fragility of the universe through the tale of a pensive astronomer, terrified by the possibility that a long-dormant star might explode and reduce the entire planet to vapor. This remarkable new collection affirms Italo Calvino's conviction that Levi was one of the most important and gifted writers of our time.
Synopsis
, the first new American collection of Primo Levi previously untranslated fiction to appear since 1990, affirms his position as one of the twentieth century's most enduring writers.
About the Author
A chemist by training, Primo Levi(1919'"1987) was arrested as an anti-fascist partisan during World War II, and deported to Auschwitz in 1944. His books include The Drowned and the Saved, If This Is a Manand The Periodic Table. He died in 1987. Norton will publish The Complete Works of Primo Leviin 2010.Alessandra Bastaglihas previously translated Jurek Becker"s The Boxer. She works as a book editor in New York City.
Ann Goldstein, an editor at The New Yorker, won the PEN Prize for Italian translation in 1993.