120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Come visit us this weekend!🚀 Auckland Bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Periodic Table

By Primo Levi
Series: Penguin Essentials
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.14 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 18,958 ratings, 1,508 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi is a captivating read that intertwines the elements of the periodic table with personal and historical anecdotes. Each chapter uses a different element as a metaphor to explore Levi's experiences as a Jewish-Italian chemist before, during, and after World War II. This memoir beautifully combines science, history, and humanity.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2100
Elsewhere:
$2400
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you appreciate a unique blend of science, autobiography, and history. Levi's chemical background and personal experiences during and after WWII provide a fascinating, human perspective on each element in the periodic table.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Assesses author's life in terms of the chemical elements. This title reflects on the difficult course of his life from his birth into an Italian Jewish family through his training as a chemist, to the pain and darkness of the Holocaust and its aftermath.

'So it happens, therefore, that every element says something to someone'

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Periodic Table by Primo Levi is a profound exploration of the author's life, uniquely framed through the lens of the chemical elements. Drawing on his background as a professional chemist, Levi reflects on his experiences, each chapter ingeniously linked to a specific element of the periodic table. Through this inventive structure, he intimately connects his personal history to the universal principles of chemistry, creating a compelling narrative that blends memoir, science, and philosophy.

Levi begins with his birth into an Italian Jewish family, weaving stories of his youth and early education. As he delves into his training and career as a chemist, readers are introduced to the alchemy of his life, where everyday experiences intertwine with scientific discovery. Each element holds a symbolic significance, representing moments of clarity, conflict, and realisation in Levi's journey.

Central to the narrative is Levi’s harrowing account of the Holocaust and its aftermath. His poignant reflections on this dark chapter in history are both heart-wrenching and illuminating. Through his evocative prose, Levi captures the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship, shedding light on the enduring impact of these experiences on his identity and worldview.

The Periodic Table is not just an autobiography; it is a tapestry of stories that articulate the beauty and brutality of life. Levi's masterful storytelling is enriched by his profound understanding of chemistry, turning abstract elements into powerful metaphors for his existence. This book is a heartfelt and deeply moving testament to the intersections of science, memory, and human resilience.

Primo Levi’s ability to distil complex emotions and historical events into accessible and engaging narratives makes The Periodic Table a timeless work. It is a must-read for those interested in the interplay between science and the human condition, offering a rare glimpse into the mind of a man who navigated some of history’s darkest times with intelligence, grace, and an unyielding sense of hope.

Series: Penguin Essentials

View all
  • On Sale
    14% off
    1984
    1984 by George Orwell is a gripping tale set in a dystopian future where the world is embroiled in perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance, and incessant public manipulation. The story unfolds in Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, a province of the superstate Oceania. Here, the Party, led by the enigmatic and omniscient Big Brother, exerts absolute power over...
    By George Orwell
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Animal Farm
    A landmark in modern literature, Animal Farm by George Orwell is a timeless fable about the dangers of power and corruption. The story begins with Mr Jones, the negligent and frequently intoxicated owner of Manor Farm, who fails to care for his animals. Incited by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, the animals revolt, oust Mr Jones, and seize control of...
    By George Orwell
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships mid October
  • The Man in the High Castle
    New Penguin Essentials edition of Philip K. Dick's haunting vision of the world as it might have been. 'Truth, she thought. As terrible as death. But harder to find.' America, fifteen years after the end of the Second World War. The winning Axis powers have divided their spoils - the Nazis control New York, while California is ruled by the...
    By Philip K. Dick
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Submarine
    A funny, fresh coming-of-age story, now a Penguin Essential. Meet Oliver Tate, 15. Convinced that his father is depressed ("Depression comes in bouts. Like boxing. Dad is in the blue corner") and his mother is having an affair with her capoeira teacher, "a hippy-looking twonk", he embarks on a hilariously misguided campaign to bring the family back together. Meanwhile, he...
    By Joe Dunthorne
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Hell's Angels
    We're the one percenters, man - the one percent that don't fit in and don't care. 'A phalanx of motorcycles came roaring over the hill from the west... the noise was like a landslide, or a wing of bombers passing over. Even knowing the Angels I couldn't quite handle what I was seeing. It was like Genghis Khan, Morgan's Raiders,...
    By Hunter S Thompson
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships mid October
  • The Pursuit of Love
    The Pursuit of Love, Mitford's beloved novel, is published as a Penguin Essential for the first time. 'Obsessed with sex!' said Jassy, 'there's nobody so obsessed as you, Linda. Why if I so much as look at a picture you say I'm a pygmalionist.' In the end, we got far more information out of a book called Ducks and Duck...
    By Nancy Mitford
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Libra
    Libra by Don DeLillo, now available as a Penguin Essential, delves deep into the heart of America's most gripping historical moment—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Set against the backdrop of Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 PM, the narrative captures the instant the nation was plunged into turmoil and psychosis. Shots ring...
    By Don DeLillo
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Bastard of Istanbul
    A breath-taking novel about a violent secret that threatens the peace of two interwoven families – now a Penguin Essential. One rainy afternoon in Istanbul a woman walks into a doctor's surgery. 'I want an abortion', she announces. She is nineteen years old, and unmarried. What happens that afternoon is to change her life, and the lives of everyone around...
    By Elif Shafak
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Chrysalids
    The Chrysalids, John Wyndham's classic science fiction novel, is published as an Essential for the first time. David Strorm's father disapproves of Angus Morton's unusually large horses, calling them blasphemies against nature. Little does he realise that his own son, his niece Rosalind, and their friends harbour their own secret aberration that would label them as mutants. As David and...
    By John Wyndham
    Paperback
    $2400
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Room with a View
    A delightfully satiric comedy of manners and an immensely satisfying love story. 'You love the boy body and soul, plainly, directly, as he loves you . . .' Lucy has her rigid, middle-class life mapped out for her until she visits Florence with her uptight cousin Charlotte, and finds her neatly ordered existence thrown off balance. Her eyes are opened...
    By E M Forster
    Paperback
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • In Cold Blood
    New edition of the Penguin Essential of the book that made Truman Capote's name. 'Dick became convinced that Perry was that rarity, "a natural killer" - absolutely sane, but conscienceless, and capable of dealing, with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows.' On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, a wealthy farmer, his wife and their two...
    By Truman Capote
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Periodic Table
    The Periodic Table by Primo Levi is a profound exploration of the author's life, uniquely framed through the lens of the chemical elements. Drawing on his background as a professional chemist, Levi reflects on his experiences, each chapter ingeniously linked to a specific element of the periodic table. Through this inventive structure, he intimately connects his personal history to the...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Periodic Table by Primo Levi is praised as a necessary read by some critics. Others highlight its daring and eclectic nature, noting its shifts in tone from scientific treatise to epic war narrative, showcasing Levi's diverse reading and storytelling abilities.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241956816

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 April 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 181.0mm

Weight: 117g

Pages: 208

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction New Release Fiction Penguin Books Primo Levi Series: Penguin Essentials

About the Author

In 1919, Primo Levi was born into a Jewish family in Turin, Italy, in 1919. Despite the anti-Semitic laws introduced to Italy by Mussolini's government, he was able to complete his degree in Chemistry at Turin University in 1941. When the Germans invaded northern Italy in 1943, Levi escaped to the mountains to join a group of anti-fascist partisans but was soon captured and eventually deported to Auschwitz. He was liberated in January 1945. After the war he resumed his career as a chemist, retiring only in 1975. His graphic account of his time in Auschwitz, If This is a Man, was published in 1947. Levi went on to write many other books, including The Wrench, If Not Now, When? and The Periodic Table, emerging not only as one of the most profound and haunting commentators on the Holocaust, but as a great writer on many twentieth-century themes, especially science. Primo Levi committed suicide on 11 April 1987.

Also by Primo Levi

View all
  • The Survivor
    Fifty new books at £1 each, celebrating the pioneering spirit of the Penguin Modern Classics series, from inspiring essays to groundbreaking fiction and poetry. The Survivor presents a selection of poetry from the author of If This is a Man and The Periodic Table. "Back, away from here, drowned people, go. I haven't stolen anyone's place."
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Drowned And The Saved
    The Drowned and the Saved is a profound exploration of the harrowing experiences of Holocaust survivors through the eyes of Primo Levi, a survivor himself. Levi delves deeply into the moral and ethical complexities faced by those who endured the concentration camps during World War II. The book is divided into a series of essays that contemplate the psychological state...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • If Not Now, When?
    Primo Levi was among the greatest witnesses to twentieth-century atrocity. In this gripping novel, based on a true story, he reveals the extraordinary lives of the Russian, Polish and Jewish partisans trapped behind enemy lines during the Second World War. Wracked by fear, hunger and fierce rivalries, they link up, fall apart, struggle to stay alive and to sabotage the...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Periodic Table
    In these haunting reflections, Primo Levi, a chemist by training, takes the elements of the periodic table as his inspiration. He ranges from young love to political savagery. Iron honours the mountain-climbing resistance hero who put iron in Levi's student soul, while Cerium recalls the improvised cigarette lighters which saved his life in Auschwitz.
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $1599
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • If This Is A Man/The Truce (50th Anniversary Edition): Surviving Auschwitz
    A new edition of Primo Levi's classic memoir of the Holocaust, with an introduction by David Baddiel, author of Jews Don't Count With the moral stamina and intellectual poise of a twentieth-century Titan, this slightly built, dutiful, unassuming chemist set out systematically to remember the German hell on earth, steadfastly to think it through, and then to render it comprehensible...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Last Interview
    At the start of 1987, Primo Levi took part in a remarkable series of conversations about his early life with a friend and fellow writer, Giovanni Tesio. This book is the result of those meetings, originally intended to be the basis for an authorized biography and published here in English for the first time. In a densely packed dialogue, Levi...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $3099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Survival in Auschwitz
    Survival in Auschwitz: If This Is a Man is a book written by the Italian author, Primo Levi. It describes his arrest as a member of the Italian anti-fascist resistance during the Second World War, and his incarceration in the Auschwitz concentration camp from February 1944 until the camp was liberated on 27 January 1945. Levi, then a 25-year-old chemist,...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    $3700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • If This is Man and The Truce
    If This is Man and The Truce
    Primo Levi's account of life as a concentration camp prisoner falls into two parts. If This is a Man describes his deportation to Poland and the 20 months he spent working in Auschwitz. The Truce covers his journey home to Italy at the end of the war.
    By Primo Levi
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Auschwitz Testimonies
    In 1945, soon after the liberation of Auschwitz, Soviet authorities in control of the Kattowitz (Katowice) camp in Poland asked Primo Levi and his fellow captive, Leonardo De Benedetti, to compile a detailed report on the sanitary conditions they witnessed in Auschwitz. The result was an extraordinary testimony and one of the first accounts of the extermination camps ever written....
    By Leonardo De Benedetti and Primo Levi
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • A Tranquil Star
    Primo Levi was one of the most astonishing voices to emerge from the twentieth century. This landmark selection of his short stories opens up a world of wonder, love, cruelty, and curious twists of fate, where nothing is as it seems. In The Fugitive, an office worker composes the most beautiful poem ever, with unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, Magic Paint sees...
    By Primo Levi
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from General Fiction

View all
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Mist and Fury
    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. An unmissable companion tale to the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Silver Flames
    The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Wings and Ruin - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The third installment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all