First impressions of Waiting for Barbarians

J.M Coetzee’s novel Waiting for Barbarians made an interesting first impression on me, to say the least. The plot and the characters were both interesting, but I feel like the more important aspect of the novel which made a significant impression on me, as well as affecting the reader’s knowledge of the plot and characters, was the style of the novel. The narration of the Magistrate and the author’s constant use of the present tense in the narrative is different from any other story that we have read in this class this year, and this narrative style plays a large role in the novel as a whole. I was intrigued by this unique style of narration, but was not sure if I liked it too much. This style led to many descriptions of small details and seemingly pointless details, such as the narrator’s long, drawn-out description of himself in the bedroom with the barbarian girl. I found this whole scene rather odd, but I will trust the author and believe that there will be a point to this focusing on minute details. The style does, however, make the novel easy to read and relatively straightforward, which is the kind of novel that I like to read

This style also affects my interpretations of the characters in Waiting for Barbarians. Through the narration, I found myself able to learn about the personality of the Magistrate. The narrator seems to be, overall, a good person. He appears to be someone who is genuine and moralistic with good intentions. Another character in the novel that is described is Colonel Joll. What is interesting about this character is the fact that he is the only to this point to be named. The Colonel appears to be a representation of evil in the novel, of the negative rule of the Empire that is prevalent throughout. A third character who I decided merited discussion in my blog was the barbarian girl that the Magistrate had a relationship with. I found her to be a strange character but a useful one for her role in the novel.

Overall, I would say that I am enjoying the novel, in large part to the fascinating overarching plot of the Empire and the barbarians with the side plot of the Magistrate. I am looking forward to continuing the novel. (389)