The Search For Roots: A Personal Anthology
In 1981, noted author and Holocaust survivor Levi (1919-86; The Periodic Table) edited this anthology of 30 short excerpts from works that were especially important to him. They are basically arranged in the order he read them himself and point to four main themes, delineated in the preface: salvation through laughter, our unjust suffering, our stature as human beings, and salvation through knowledge. These four aspects of Levi's reading possessed him both as a writer and as a man. The book covers such major writers as Homer, Rabelais, Jonathan Swift, T.S. Eliot, and Thomas Mann. Science writing (e.g., Charles Darwin, Arthur C. Clarke, Ludwig Gattermann) and Jewish life in 20th-century Europe (Levi's great subject, represented by writers like Isaac Babel and Sholem Aleichem) are also represented. Especially noteworthy are the excerpts from lesser-known Italian writers (e.g., Carlo Porta, Giuseppe Parini). Not only are the selections themselves illuminating but Levi's preface and head notes are invaluable additions to the writings of this author of reason, morality, and honesty. The introduction by Forbes, the editor of Poetry Review, and afterword by Italo Calvino further explain the anthology. Highly recommended for literature and Jewish Studies collections. Gene Shaw, NYPLCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.