This is an account of the author’s return home to Italy following his imprisonment in Auschwitz.

It is wonderfully written and extremely readable. But it does not provide any information we really feel we need to know as did Survival in Auschwitz.

We are told of the rescue from the camp by the Russians and their necessary and thorough bathing by the Russian nurses.

Primo, being ill, was delegated to an Infectious Ward. He ended up in a small ward with only twenty bunks.

There were a few desperate cases, including an unknown skeleton-like little man whose muscles were horriblly contracted and whom the nurses did what they could with.

There was a “child of death” who looked about three years old who could not speak and had no name – they called him Hurbinek.

He was paralyzed from the waist down, with atrophied legs as thin as sticks. His eyes “flashed terribly alive, full of demand and assertion”.

Hanek, a robust Hungarian boy of fifteen, spent half his day beside Hurbinek’s pallet, Hanek brought him food, adjusted his blankets, cleaned him skilfully and spoke to him, in Hungarian, of course.

Hurbinek died in March, 1945.

Hanek came from Transsylvania; he and his whole family had been captured and deported to Auschwitz.

There were several children. One, Peter Pavel, was five years old. He was a beautiful, blond, robust child. He spoke to nobody and needed nobody.

There was Kleine Kapura, twelve years old. Enormously long arms and legs stuck out from his squat, short body.

He had been the attendant of the “Lager-Kapo”.

After a few days he began to speak.

“He shouted imperious commands in German to a group of non-existent slaves.”

“Get up, swine --- Make your beds, quickly; clean your shoes. All in line, lice inspection, feet inspection!”

Primo describes in detail in his wonderful prose all the characters he encounters.

Eventually, he gets into a Russian transport convoy heading towards a “mysterious” transit camp. He meets a Greek, Mordo Nahun, who becomes a sort of friend,

Primo passes through several camps together with many others.

In one town, the Polish Red Cross had established a marvelous field-kitchen and served a substantial hot soup at all hours.

Primo meets people of various nationalities with whom he communicates in a mixture of languages.

He travels by various trains, though often he does not know for certain where they are heading, if at all in the right direction.

I found the book to be extremely readable but not indispensable or important.

Depsite the political and philosophical penumbra, I regard this account as a travel narrative. The baggage involved is ineffable. Despite Adorno, this works and it projects. ( )

Unlike If This is a Man, which is sad and serious, The Truce, which relates Primo Levi's circuitous journey home after his concentration camp survival, if full of expectation and hope. ( )

La commovente storia della liberazione del campo di sterminio di Auschwitz e del tortuoso ritorno a casa dei prigionieri. ( )

This is the second book in Primo Levi’s autobiography about Auschwitz and the aftermath of the war. Also goes by the title “The Truce”, in Danish "Tøbruddet".

As the first one this is no doubt a solid five star read. Primo Levi recounts the time just after Auschwitz when jews, refugees and other war victims are trying to get home. Everything is chaos, people are starving and sick and many dies in interim camps - Primo Levi is relocated several times to different camps, trying to survive.

He’s such a good storyteller, vivid descriptions of so many people - some showing forth trumendous strength and resilience, others caring and loving, others cruel and vicious. It’s also in places very funny in all the absurd circumstances they happen to find themselves in - so many strange characters and events that you shake your head in disbelief. ( )