By: Onkar Sharma

In the Wilderness of the World’s Being by Thomas Sanfilip is a novel that delves into the realms of art, beauty, and the human condition. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of a protagonist who, along with a character named Miriam, embarks on a journey that is both physical and metaphysical. Their quest leads them to an abandoned villa filled with enigmatic artefacts and unsettling emptiness, setting the stage for a series of encounters and reflections on the nature of existence, art, and the elusive concept of beauty.

Complex Characters and their Interwoven yet Distinct Nature

The characters in Sanfilip’s novel are complex and often shrouded in mystery. The protagonist, whose name remains unknown, serves as the narrator and the reader’s guide through this exploration of art and existence. He is portrayed as a thoughtful and sensitive individual, deeply affected by the absence of beauty in the world and driven by a desire to find meaning in the remnants of the past. His companion, Miriam, is equally enigmatic, a woman of striking beauty and keen perception, who seems to possess a unique understanding of the world’s underlying mysteries. She is a poet, and her words, like her presence, are both illuminating and unsettling.

Piero, who appears briefly at the beginning of the novel, introduces the protagonist to the abandoned villa and its hidden treasures. His character is shrouded in an aura of desperation and madness, embodying the struggle to preserve beauty in a world that seems to have abandoned it. Other characters, such as the group of people photographing empty spaces in the villa and the old woman on the island, add to the novel’s surreal atmosphere, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

Metaphorical Use of Language and Imagery

Sanfilip’s prose is rich in vivid and evocative imagery, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that permeates the entire novel. The abandoned villa itself becomes a powerful symbol of the past, its decaying grandeur and empty spaces serving as a metaphor for the loss of beauty and meaning in the modern world. The objects found within the villa—ancient statues, faded tapestries, and bizarre artefacts—are described in meticulous detail, each one a fragment of a lost civilisation, hinting at forgotten stories and hidden truths.

Light and shadow play a significant role in the novel’s imagery, often used to create a sense of mystery and ambiguity. The contrast between the two is particularly striking in the scenes at the villa, where shafts of sunlight illuminate empty spaces, and shadows conceal hidden corners. The image of the red pick-up truck speeding across the landscape, stirring up a cloud of dust, is both surreal and symbolic, representing the fleeting nature of beauty and the relentless passage of time.

The novel’s imagery is not limited to the visual; Sanfilip also employs rich sensory details to create a multi-layered reading experience. The sounds of dripping water, rustling leaves, and distant voices contribute to the atmosphere of the villa, while the protagonist’s physical sensations—the feel of rain-soaked paper, the taste of salt on his lips, the touch of Miriam’s hand—ground the narrative in the realm of the tangible and immediate.

Search for meaning

In the Wilderness of the World’s Being explores several profound themes, most notably the nature of beauty, the power of art, and the human search for meaning. The novel suggests that true beauty is not always apparent or easily defined but rather something elusive and ephemeral that can be found in unexpected places. The abandoned villa, with its decaying grandeur and hidden treasures, becomes a symbol of this idea, representing the beauty that can be found even in decay and desolation.

The novel also goes one level down into the power of art to transcend time and connect us to the past. The ancient statues, faded tapestries, and other artefacts found in the villa serve as reminders of forgotten civilisations and lost ways of life, suggesting that art can provide a sense of continuity and connection in a world that is constantly changing.

Finally, the novel explores the human search for meaning in a world that often seems chaotic and meaningless. The protagonist’s quest for beauty and understanding is ultimately a quest for self-discovery, as he grapples with questions about the nature of existence, the passage of time, and the possibility of finding redemption in a world marked by loss and decay.

Fragmented, non-linear narrative

One of the most striking aspects of Sanfilip’s novel is its language. The prose is dense, lyrical, and often poetic, filled with vivid imagery and evocative metaphors. The author’s use of language creates a mesmerising effect, drawing the reader into the protagonist’s world and immersing them in his thoughts and perceptions. The novel’s structure is also noteworthy. Sanfilip employs a fragmented, non-linear narrative style that mirrors the protagonist’s own sense of disorientation and uncertainty. This unconventional structure adds to the novel’s dreamlike atmosphere, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

The novel’s intertextual references are also significant. Sanfilip weaves in allusions to various works of art, literature, and philosophy, adding layers of meaning and complexity to the narrative. These references enrich the reading experience and invite the reader to engage with the text on multiple levels. For instance, the epigraph, a poem that speaks of a rose that does not fade, connects to the novel’s central themes of beauty, loss, and memory.

In essence, In the Wilderness of the World’s Being is a novel that defies easy categorisation. It is a work of art that is both challenging and rewarding, inviting the reader to contemplate profound questions about the nature of existence, the power of art, and the elusive concept of beauty.