THE MONKEY'S WRENCH

u003cbu003eA chemist-turned-writer and a construction rigger in a remote factory pass the time swapping tales of their lives and voyages. Primo Levi’s most light-hearted novel, u003ciu003eThe Monkey’s Wrenchu003c/iu003e is a tribute to storytelling, human ingenuity, and the importance of finding meaningful work in life.u003c/bu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003e“A lot of stories have happened to me,” says Faussone, the mysterious construction rigger at the center of this comic novel by Primo Levi. Far from home on a work assignment, Libertino Faussone befriends the book’s narrator, a chemist based loosely off of Levi himself. Although he can’t quite explain it, the chemist is immediately entranced by the wandering laborer who has traveled to every corner of the world. The two embark on an unlikely friendship, trading tales filled with curses and spies, scandal and heartbreak.u003cbru003e u003cbru003eWith its easy-going and even whimsical tone, u003ciu003eThe Monkey’s Wrench u003c/iu003eis a change from Primo Levi’s other works. Yet its message is just as vital. The novel reminds us about the importance of connection between strangers, our endless capacity to solve even the most challenging of problems, and finding fulfillment in work.u003cbru003e u003cbru003eAlong with Elie Wiesel and Hannah Arendt, Primo Levi is remembered as one of the most powerful and perceptive writers on the Holocaust and the Jewish experience during World War II. This is an essential book both for students and literary readers. Reading Primo Levi is a lesson in the resiliency of the human spirit.