LEVI, Primo (1919-1987)
Set of two letters signed « Primo Levi » to Roland Stragliati
Turin, 19th and 29th June 1980, 8 p. in-4°
« Come le ho scritto, sarebbe piuttosto una clef de serrage »
Fact sheet
LEVI, Primo (1919-1987)
Set of two letters signed « Primo Levi » to Roland Stragliati
Turin, 19th and 29th June 1980, 8 p. in-4°, with one envelope
Very rare letters from Primo Levi for the French translation of his novel La Chiave a stella – The writer shares with his translator many remarks, sometimes disagreements, on certain subtleties and expressions of the Italian language for the French version of the novel
In 1978, Primo Levi wrote the novel La chiave a stella, a book that is a dialogue, during a stay in a Russian city, between the author and a Turinese technician, who is sent around the world for the installation of industrial machinery, as part of major engineering projects, where in the 1960s and 1970s Italian companies are often involved. For the author, pride in a job well done is necessary for a fulfilling life. Primo Levi then had to face criticism from the left side of political parties, because his elegiac approach to work as a means of personal fulfillment neglected the most sordid aspects of workers’ exploitation, as well as any social criticism. Nevertheless, the book earned him the prestigious Strega Prize (equivalent to the Prix Goncourt in France), in 1979, and a success with readers.
Unpublished letters