Il sistema periodico

I’ll admit: I approached *Il sistema periodico* expecting something either overly technical or grimly didactic. Instead, Gabriele Vacis’ performance revealed it as one of the most *alive* audiobooks I’ve heard this year. His delivery is a masterclass in restraint—no overemoting, just a quiet intensity that mirrors Levi’s own understated prose. When Levi describes the ‘useless violence’ of fascism in the chapter on ‘Vanadium,’ Vacis’ voice doesn’t crack; it *hardens*, making the moment land like a punch to the gut. Similarly, his timing in the lighter stories (like the farcical ‘Mercury’ tale of a botched chemical deal) is impeccable, letting Levi’s dry humor shine. That said, the audiobook isn’t without flaws. The pacing in the first third feels uneven—some chapters (like ‘Argon,’ a philosophical musing on inertia) drag slightly in audio form, where Levi’s dense reflections demand more mental bandwidth than print might. And while Vacis’ Italian is crystal clear, non-native listeners might struggle with the occasional untranslated Latin or Yiddish phrase (a minor quibble, but worth noting). Yet these are footnotes to an otherwise transcendent experience. The chapter on ‘Cerium,’ where Levi ties the element’s properties to his own survival, is worth the price alone: Vacis’ reading turns chemistry into a metaphor for resilience, and it’s devastating in the best way. If you’ve ever loved a book that makes you *see* the world differently—whether through science, history, or sheer artistry—this is your next listen.