Description
J.M. Coetzee’s acclaimed novel Waiting for the Barbarians is a searing parable of power, empire, and moral awakening. Set in an unnamed empire at the edge of a vast desert, the story follows a loyal magistrate in a sleepy frontier town who lives a quiet, ordered life—until rumors of a barbarian uprising prompt the arrival of ruthless state officials.
As interrogation, torture, and fear begin to dominate the settlement, the magistrate’s conscience stirs. Unable to condone the cruelty of the regime he serves, he begins to question the values he once upheld. His decision to help a wounded barbarian girl triggers a chain of events that lead to his downfall, forcing him to confront both the brutality of empire and his own complicity.
Written in Coetzee’s spare, lyrical prose, Waiting for the Barbarians is a profound meditation on colonialism, justice, and the fine line between civilization and savagery. Both timeless and timely, it remains one of the most important novels of the 20th century.
Condition: Good, with minor water damage in one corner (see photos)
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