The Drowned And The Saved

BOOK: The Drowned And The Saved

AUTHOR: Primo Levy

GRADE: A-

With “The Drowned And The Saved,” Primo Levy has produced a stunning meditation on the atrocities of the Holocaust that is like none other that I am aware of. Part memoir and part academic text; Levi’s tome is an analytical text borne out of a fear of repeating the events that took place during that dark time in all of our histories. What is not learned from is generally repeated.

“The Drowned And The Saved” delves deep into the day to day complexities of life in the Nazi Concentration Camps; looking at everything from the shame of the workers to the “gray zone” of those who were both prisoners and workers and the transformation of the campers from human beings into animals (with the accompanying degradation). He looks into the commonly held stereotypes put upon those inside and debunks them all. Finally, Levi concludes with letters from Germans in response to his book – which is simply fascinating.

“The Drowned And The Saved” is a fabulous book through and through. My only warning before recommending this would be that the language and context is written in a highly academic style and therefore is frequently difficult to comprehend. My experience was that if you give it a chance and keep reading, you will be more than grateful you did by the end. I believe this is a must read for all.