Waiting for the Barbarians
by J. M. Coetzeeliterary work· published 1980
Shop for this title via the links below.
For decades the Magistrate has run the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement, ignoring the impending war between the barbarians and the Empire, whose servant he is. But when the interrogation experts arrive, he is jolted into sympathy for the victims, and into a quixotic act of rebellion which lands him in prison.
Adaptations (1)
Waiting for the Barbarians was adapted into a 2019 film.
Waiting for the Barbarians2019 · film · 112 min · dir. Ciro Guerra · IMDb ↗At an isolated frontier outpost, a colonial magistrate suffers a crisis of conscience when an army colonel arrives looking to interrogate the locals about an impending uprising, using cruel tactics that horrify the magistrate.
