The Diving-bell and the Butterfly

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Jean-Dominique Bauby

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Pages: 144 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0007139845

Pub: HarperPerennial

Pub date: 2002-05-07

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 23

Editorial Review:

On December 8, 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby's life was forever altered when a part of his body he'd never heard of--his brain stem--was rendered inactive. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, his exquisitely painful memoir, is neither a triumphant account of recovery nor a journey into the abyss of self-pity. Instead, it is a tender testament to the power of language and love. At 43, Bauby was defined by success, wit and charisma. But in the course of a few bewildering minutes, the editor-in-chief of French Elle became a victim of the rare locked-in syndrome. The only way he could express his frustration, however, was by blinking his left eye. The rest of his body could no longer respond. Bauby was determined to escape the paralysis of his diving bell and free the butterflies of his imagination. And with the help of ESA, "a hit parade in which each letter is placed according to the frequency of its use in the French language," Bauby did so. Visitors, and eventually his editor, would read each letter aloud and he would blink at the right one. Slowly--painstakingly-- words, sentences, paragraphs and even this graceful book emerged.

Bauby relays the horrors and small graces of his struggle, which range from awaking one day to discover his right eye being sewn shut to realising the significance of Father's Day, a holiday previously absent from his family's "emotional calendar": "Today we spent the whole of the symbolic day together, affirming that even a rough sketch, a shadow, a tiny fragment of a dad is still a dad." The author makes it clear that being locked in doesn't kick open the doors of perception, but The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is nonetheless a celebration of life. Jean Dominique-Bauby died of a heart attack on March 9, 1997, two days after his book was published in France.

Reader Reviews:

Expected so much more (0/0 people found this helpful)

I was expecting great things from this novel, I expected to be inspired and be truly touched. The background story to the book is truly inspiring, the lengths to which the author went to dictate the story are inspirational, but the book itself in my opinion was disappointing and fell flat, it just did nothing for me.

Inspirational (2/2 people found this helpful)

This book, what can I say? It wasn't what I expected, yet somehow gave me more. Perhaps it was too short to truly grasp the situation, yet under the circumstances of how this book came about it was indeed a remarkable feat.
Nobody, or atleast I, couldn't imagine the horrors and desolation of living in lock down syndrome by reading this book. Although it does give a vivid insight into the life of Dominique Bauby, Im not sure I felt what I thought this book was going to portray, however, I got humour, I got zeal, I got a remarkable story from a man who shared not so much the physical but the mental side to his disability.
A very very sad story, with an honest insight into how such tragedy is viewed in a somewhat positive manner, or atleast to the best of someones remarkable ability. A very worthy read.

Slightly unsatisfying (3/3 people found this helpful)

I found reading this book a strangely empty experience. I've come away with a faint impression of the nightmare of locked in syndome, but nothing more profound. (Then again, there's a limit to what can be written by an author who must dictate a book word by word, letter by letter with only the flutter of an eyelid.)

Amazingly helpful (1/1 people found this helpful)

This book was the most amazing book i have ever read and so helpful to me. My dad fell down some stairs in nov 06 and has some brain damage, although he does not have locked in syndrome this book gave me some insight as to what my dad has and is going through.It gives me some comfort to have some idea what my dad may be thinking.

you have to read this book (3/3 people found this helpful)

This book took my breath away.I expected it to be really dark but it is full of life and sunshine.once you get your head around the concept of the guy's life and where he is coming from it is superb,I read it in a few hours but I'm still talking about it and passing it to friends months later.Not many books have ever made me laugh or cry but this one does both.

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