Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee. It provides a thorough exploration of the novel’s plot, characters and main themes, including the consequences of colonialism, the significance of dreams and the passage of time. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 54-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of J. M. Coetzee
• Presentation of Waiting for the Barbarians
• Summary of Waiting for the Barbarians
• Character study
  • The Magistrate
  • The barbarian girl
  • Colonel Joll
  • The barbarians
• Analysis of Waiting for the Barbarians
  • Form
  • Themes

About Waiting for the Barbarians

Waiting for the Barbarians was first published in 1980. It centers on the character of an anonymous Magistrate, who is in charge of an outlying province of an unnamed empire. The citizens of the region live in constant fear of being attacked by the barbarians who inhabit the neighboring territory on the other side of the border, but no such attack ever transpires. However, the Magistrate’s own beliefs about the Empire and the barbarians are shaken when he comes into contact with a barbarian girl and gradually forms a bond with her.

Waiting for the Barbarians received a number of awards, including the 1980 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the 1981 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. It was also adapted into an opera by Philip Glass in 2005.

About J. M. Coetzee

J. M. Coetzee is a South African writer of Dutch descent, and is a native speaker of Afrikaans, although he is best-known for writing in English. He worked as a computer scientist and a lecturer before turning his hand to writing, but he is now considered one of the most significant active English-language authors in the world. He has won a number of prestigious awards, including the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, and became the first person to win the Man Booker Prize twice in 1999. However, he is very reclusive and rarely makes public appearances or discusses his work.