Waiting for Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee

Waiting for Barbarians

It is a novel, published in 1980 by Nobel Prize winner South African writer J.M.Coetzee. He has choosen title of the novel from a poem by C.P. Cavafy.
This novel can be read from post colonial perspective, in which colony writes back.
The novel is narrated by unnammed narrator - The Megistrate. People's peaceful life comes to an end when Empire declares the Emergency. Because Empire was thinking that some indigeneous people called "Barbarians"- native people are going to attack Empire.To know the secrets of the Barbarians (Natives) they bits them, torture them, rape them, kill them. Colonel Joll did unimaginable torture to people.But ultimately no one comes.
But now the real question arises that who are the barbarians?? Britishers( White people- Colonizer) or Native ???
To prove them Barbarians, these people have actually became the Barbarians.Colonel Joll is metaphor for entire Empire. He has created truth, which he wanted to prove. He anyhow wanted to prove that Barbarians are planing to attack them.

the Magistrate begins to question the legitimacy of imperialism and.personally nurses a barbarian girl who was left crippled and partly blinded by the Third Bureau's torturers. The Magistrate has an intimate yet uncertain relationship with the girl. Eventually, he decides to take her back to her people.