Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
The Monkey’s Wrench |
1978 |
Primo Levi |
Buy |
| 2 |
If Not Now, When? |
1982 |
Primo Levi |
Buy |
| 3 |
The Magic Paint |
2011 |
Primo Levi |
Buy |
Primo Levi’s standalone novels show a different side of his literary talent. “The Monkey’s Wrench” celebrates manual skill and craftsmanship through conversations with a traveling rigger. “If Not Now, When?” tells the story of Jewish resistance fighters making their way across wartime Europe.
These novels share Levi’s characteristic attention to work, materials, and the dignity of practical knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Primo Levi Standalone Novels series?
There are three books in the Primo Levi Standalone Novels series, published between 1978 and 2011.
What is the first book in the Primo Levi Standalone Novels series?
The first book in the Primo Levi Standalone Novels series is The Monkey’s Wrench, published in 1978.
Did Primo Levi write fiction as well as memoir?
Yes, Levi wrote several works of fiction alongside his Holocaust testimony. “The Monkey’s Wrench” (1978) celebrates the dignity of skilled labor through a rigger’s stories, while “If Not Now, When?” (1982) follows Jewish partisans behind German lines in World War II. His fiction shares the same precise, observant style as his non-fiction.