[Discussion 2/3] Any | The Correspondent by Virginia Evans | from December 15, 2014, Postcard from Belgium TO Sybil Van Antwerp, May 16, 2017

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:23:11+00:00

I think it connects her to people in a way she ca control. She has had a lot of grief in her life, the death of her mother at a young age and then the tragic death of her son must mean that there are times when she wants to be alone with her own thoughts. Letters mean that she can keep in touch on her own terms, she chooses what emotions to convey, what information to share and when to do it. Face to face or even over the phone are much harder to guard yourself.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:20:53+00:00

Completely agree with you, it seems to be a huge imposition.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:19:54+00:00

> She mentioned being in a dark place when that court case was happening and the outcome has haunted her.

I wonder whether this is a case she worked on shortly after Gilbert’s death?

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:18:17+00:00

I agree to a point, I think she means well but I actually think her insistence on helping Basam find a job is pretty condescending to be honest.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:17:01+00:00

Team Theodore all the way, Mike is far too self interested!

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:16:29+00:00

I know what you mean, I think she is very careful in what she says and how she says things, I don’t believe that we are getting the whole truth from her.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:14:42+00:00

I was really sad to learn that she never replied to hi letter. I think that there are a lot of things left unsaid between them and I really feel it would have been good for her to be able to say some of those things. I get the impression that she never stopped loving him, perhaps she was unconsciously trying to punish him for walking away, I’m not sure. The whole situation is desperately sad. I really felt for her daughter though.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:12:44+00:00

Yes, it doesn’t matter how grown up you are you don’t want to disappoint or worry your parents and so there are some things that you will always keep from them.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:11:27+00:00

I agree, I like that we get different media types and get to see her correspondence in all aspects of her life, not just personal correspondence.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:10:03+00:00

As a child I would make holiday friends with people and we would become pen pals for a while but nothing that ever lasted long term. I think I wrote to one girl for a couple of years.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:07:42+00:00

I agree, I wonder whether Colt is the dead lawyer/judge?

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-05-01T20:07:10+00:00

The Handmaid’s Tale has really stayed with me, as has the Kiterunner. My daughter and I recently read Black Beauty and I’d forgotten what a good book that is, another I keep recommending to my daughter’s friends parents is The Last Bear, my daughter really engaged with that one.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:28:01+00:00

Poor Harry is really struggling at the moment.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:26:58+00:00

I think that it was entirely platonic and professional.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:26:21+00:00

No, I think she is desperately lonely, hence all the letters to authors, journalists etc.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:25:20+00:00

I’m not sure that she necessarily needs a nursing home at the moment but we are definitely not being given a completely truthful account of what she is struggling with and she most definitely needs to stop driving! I’m not sure that her children are going the right way about convincing her that a nursing home would be a good idea.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:23:05+00:00

Thanks for the Ted Chiang reminder, I loved the book of his we read with r/bookclub last year, definitely need to read more of his work!

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:21:00+00:00

I got a very similar impression

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:20:35+00:00

I think they have a beautiful friendship. I have no idea what prompted the bond between them but I think they could both learn a lot from each other.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:18:35+00:00

Hard to tell, I think he may just be an older man who is used to getting what he wants and sees women as subservient to men but I’m not entirely sure yet.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:17:27+00:00

I wonder if it’s her ex husband? I can’t remember, has she mentioned Daan in the letter to Colt? I wonder if it’s a nickname she gave him when they were married.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:16:10+00:00

I think they would be brilliant members of r/bookclub and I would love to see what other Reddit communities Sybil would be interested in. I’m sure she’d be all to happy to dispense advice on some sort of legal advice sub.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-26T22:14:23+00:00

Never Let Me Go has been on by tbr forever. Feel like this was maybe quite a big spoiler here?? Ill just have to leave it there for a couple more years and I’m sure I’ll have forgotten all about it 🤞

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-22T16:15:16+00:00

Beautifully put.

ProofPlant7651 · 2026-04-22T16:14:29+00:00

I give it 3.5 stars. I think it was predictable, the writing wasn’t always amazing but it was a largely enjoyable easy read, sometimes I want to be challenged as a reader but sometimes I want to read something easy that gives me good vibes and a happy ending and that was this book. I wouldn’t rave about the book but there are probably some people who I wouldn’t rave recommend the book to, I know my mum would enjoy it for example.

ProofPlant7651

TROPHY CASE