The Correspondent

It’s not often that I enjoy a book that takes forever to complete. It took me a month to complete The Correspondent. Remarkably apt, given that it is an epistolary novel (written by means of letters), where it’s the arrival or departure of a letter that fills the gaps in the story.

The story revolves around the life of seventy something Sybil Van Antwerp who sits down every morning at around half past 10, to write letters to all her loved ones, acquaintances and even those who have left a fleeting impression. Her repertoire of letters act as a window into her life that’s filled with love, loss and heartbreak.

Growing up we were taught the importance of communicating effectively by means of letters. As an adult, this has been condensed to a few words and at times, just a handful of abbreviations; cu, tc. Feelings cannot be expressed as clearly in a text message, and leaves a void that yearns to be filled.

Through her letters, Sybil shows how the distance between loved ones can be bridged by a well written letter. As Sybil notes,

…reaching out in correspondence is really one of the original forms of civility in the world, the preservation of which has to be of some value we cannot yet see…

It’s through her letters that she understands the depths of her daughter’s feelings, her shortcomings as a mother and wife and her role in her son’s unfortunate death. Grief is something that’s hard to express. Hers is insurmountable; having lost a son and a husband with no blood family to fall back on. Being brought up all her life by foster parents, she wonders about her biological parents and the possibility of having siblings, all of which wrap up in the end, thanks to the kindness of strangers and the depth and beauty of the written word.

As the story progresses and we dive deeper into Sybil’s intricate life and understand the complex relationships she has with each of her correspondents, you can’t help but wonder if any of these relationships could have been mended with the spoken word. Because unlike what’s said, what’s written is immortal; for everyone to see in black and white. Which is why she struggles to write to those who are closest to her. Hence we find as the novel reaches its end, two unsent letters, its recipients long dead, tying up the threads of a life well lived.

Final Thoughts

The writing is evocative, the plot brilliant and the characters realistic. While there is a range of themes exploring the layers of relationships and the loss of identity with age, I feel the predominant theme in the novel is the importance of effective communication. It’s the greatest skill you can possess and a lot cannot be expressed though present communication means. While it is a bit tedious to get into, as the whole book is written by way of letters, it is definitely rewarding.

I would recommend it to to anyone who would love to rediscover the art of letter writing that’s slowly nearing its end; because what could be more gratifying than reading someone’s entire spectrum of emotions a whole lifetime later?

Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle…Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing to someone?