One of my classes this semester is called Representations of the Holocaust. In it the students are asked to analyze different pieces of Holocaust Literature and Film. It is the most interesting class I believe I have ever taken, but there is also a lot of work involved. In the class we were asked to read several books and the first of these books was Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi. I have put off reviewing this book for so long because it is the story of a Holocaust survivor. The nature of the work itself makes reviewing it seem taboo. I have always felt somewhat guilty about saying that Schindler’s List is my favorite movie or that I enjoyed reading Night by Elie Wiesel. It almost seems like saying that you took pleasure in a representation of something so horrible is an insult to the memory of the people who were forced to endure it. For this reason I decided that I would not review any of the books I read in the class. Only now have I decided that it is better to publicize their stories than keep them hidden.

Survival in Auschwitz is a memoir by Primo Levi. It details his experiences while in the camp but it does not always just follow the story of Primo Levi. Throughout the book he remarks about the camp itself and the people within the camp. He tells the stories of the prisoners that he came into contact with and the guards that oversaw him. He even gives examples of how some people were able not only to survive, but to thrive in the camps. The story does not follow a necessarily coherent timeline, but it does begin when he enters the camps and ends when Auschwitz is liberated.

There are an innumerable amount of facets through which to analyze Survival in Auschwitz. In many ways it is the deepest and most intricate book I have ever read. Levi’s writing style is an interesting aspect of his memoirs in itself. He could have easily condemned his captors or cried out in disgust or begged for pity. In fact there are any number of acceptable ways that this book could have been written because of the horror and torment that he endured, but instead Levi chooses to tell the story in a practical and logical way. His story does acknowledge the atrocities committed by the Nazis as something that is unacceptable but he does not cast judgment; he lets the reader make his own decision about what the Holocaust means. Levi does not explain how afraid he was or what he felt during the worst times.

I had not read anything about the Holocaust that was not fictional in a few years and so Levi’s memoirs were enlightening. The book gives a more detailed look of what happened inside the camps than I had previously encountered (in many ways beyond Night and Still Alive by Ruth Klüger). It explains the role of the prisoners within Auschwitz and how they sometimes helped to perpetuate the system of tyranny.

Final Verdict:
Survival in Auschwitz is not only important in its message it is also written exceptionally well.

It is a book more people should know about and everyone should be aware of what it has to say.

Favorite Quotation:
To destroy a man is difficult, almost as difficult as to create one.