Waiting for the Barbarians - J.M. Coetzee

An extraordinarily vivid portrayal of the extremities commited by the oppressors on the oppressed. The rulers are trying to fight a battle against the barbarians but do not realise the perils that lie in their wake. The few barbarians that they do manage to capture are subject to unimaginable atrocities which makes beasts out of ordinary human beings who are only concerned about filling their stomachs and least care about their surroundings/habitat. This novel in a way reminded me of Blindness (reviewed earlier) where human needs are reduced to the very basic requirements of food and water and nothing else matters. This book by Coetzee is definitely not a light read and not for the faint hearted.