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Waiting for the Barbarians

by J.M. Coetzee
Compare to estimated retail price: RM71.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Waiting for the Barbarians
Waiting for the Barbarians

Allegory of power, justice, and personal conscience.

"Waiting for the Barbarians" pulls you into a stark narrative that feels both distant and uncomfortably familiar. Coetzee's prose is lean yet potent, exposing the machinery of empire and the intricate struggles of morality versus duty. It's the kind of book that haunts long after the last page, offering a reflective lens into our own societies and the roles we play within them.

  • James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction (1980)
  • Philip K. Dick Award Nominee (1983)
  • CNA Literary Award (1980)
  • Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize (1981)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Waiting for the Barbarians

by J.M. Coetzee
Compare to estimated retail price: RM71.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780140061109
Authors: J.M. Coetzee
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date of Publication: 1982-04-29
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Related Topics: Literature, Classics, War
Goodreads rating: 3.93
(rated by 31785 readers)

Description

For decades the Magistrate has been a loyal servant of the Empire, running the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement and ignoring the impending war with the barbarians. When interrogation experts arrive, however, he witnesses the Empire's cruel and unjust treatment of prisoners of war. Jolted into sympathy for their victims, he commits a quixotic act of rebellion that brands him an enemy of the state. J. M. Coetzee's prize-winning novel is a startling allegory of the war between oppressor and oppressed. The Magistrate is not simply a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times; his situation is that of all men living in unbearable complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency.
 

Allegory of power, justice, and personal conscience.

"Waiting for the Barbarians" pulls you into a stark narrative that feels both distant and uncomfortably familiar. Coetzee's prose is lean yet potent, exposing the machinery of empire and the intricate struggles of morality versus duty. It's the kind of book that haunts long after the last page, offering a reflective lens into our own societies and the roles we play within them.

  • James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction (1980)
  • Philip K. Dick Award Nominee (1983)
  • CNA Literary Award (1980)
  • Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize (1981)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.