An Imaginary Life (1978) by David Malouf is a historical-fiction novella centered on the Roman poet Ovid, exiled to the remote commune of Tomis, located on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D. The story explores Ovid's transformation from a frustrated, alienated exile into someone who learns to connect with nature and the indigenous people, the Getae. Through his interactions with a mysterious wild boy, known as The Child, Ovid comes to embrace a new understanding of life, death, and the limitations of civilization. The novella is a meditation on cultural difference, acceptance, and the power of nature, with Ovid’s final metamorphosis reflecting his acceptance of death as a natural transition. The book’s poetic prose and themes of post-colonialism, environmental dependence, and metamorphosis have made it an enduring work in Malouf’s literary career.
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