Primo Levi was one of the most astonishing voices to emerge from the twentieth century. This landmark selection of his short stories opens up a world of wonder love cruelty & curious twists of fate where nothing is as it seems. In The Fugitive" an office worker composes the most beautiful poem ever with unforeseen consequences while " Magic Paint" sees a group of researchers develop a paint that mysteriously protects them from misfortune. " Gladiators" & " The Knall" are chilling explorations of mass violence & in " The Tranquil Star" a simple story of stargazing becomes a meditation on language imagination & infinity."