Waiting for the Barbarians

The Magistrate of an unnamed frontier outpost in a nameless empire questions the empire's brutal methods for extracting information from supposed 'barbarians.' Coetzee's allegory of colonialism and complicity is one of the most important political novels of the twentieth century.

Waiting for the Barbarians was written by J.M. Coetzee, from South Africa. First published in 1980.

Waiting for the Barbarians has received the following awards and honours: ALA Notable Books 1980.

Waiting for the Barbarians is a book that has earned critical recognition, with an aggregate editorial score of 10/100 on 50 Best Books, based on mentions across 1 editorial source. It is particularly recommended for readers interested in colonialism, complicity, empire.

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Waiting for the Barbarians is classified as Literary Fiction. Character-driven fiction that prioritises style, theme, and psychological depth.

Waiting for the Barbarians originates from South Africa's literary tradition. Explore more books from South Africa on our country page.