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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Review

From the back cover:
After suffering a massive stroke, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French Elle and the father of two young children, found himself completely paralysed and speechless. Able only to move one eyelid, he 'dictated' this remarkable book. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly records Bauby's lonely existence, but also the ability to invent a life for oneself in the most appalling of circumstances. It is a remarkable book about the triumph of the human spirit.

Review:
I first read this book a couple of years ago, at a time in my life when I was very busy and had little time for reading (a dark state of affairs I must say), and I borrowed a copy from a friend and zoomed through its 139 pages in a series of short bursts of reading. I confess I paid scant attention to what I was reading, but by the end I had a feeling I had not given it the proper attention and time it deserved. But, being in the busy state I was in I returned the book to my friend and left it at that. Then, it was my book club's pick for this month and I was determined this time around to give it the time it deserved.

This time, I read it slowly, deliberately, and savoured every word. It deserves this kind of reading. Jean-Dominique Bauby spent much of his time, trapped inside his own body (the diving bell), carefully constructing the sentences of this book, selecting each word specifically, and waiting until such time as he could dictate them by painstakingly spelling them out one letter at a time. I came away from reading this in awe of the kind of remarkable mind that could achieve this feat.

Sadly, the author died shortly after the first publication, but the mark he has left, and the benefit of his achievement for other sufferers of 'locked-in syndrome' can not be underestimated.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Overview

The diary of Jean-Dominique Bauby who, with his left eyelid (the only surviving muscle after a massive stroke) dictated a remarkable book about his experiences locked inside his body. A masterpiece and a bestseller in France, it is now a major motion picture directed by Julian Schnabel. On 8 December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke and slipped into a coma. When he regained consciousness three weeks later, the only muscle left functioning was in his left eyelid although his mind remained as active and alert as it had ever been. He spent most of 1996 writing this book, letter by letter, blinking as an alphabet was repeatedly read out to him. 'The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly' was published in France on Thursday 6th March 1997. It was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. And then, three days later, he died. 'The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly', which records Bauby's lonely existence, is probably the most remarkable book about the triumph of the human spirit, the ability to invent a life for oneself in the most appalling of circumstances, that you will ever read. It has now been made into a captivating film, directed by Julian Schnabel and starring Mathieu Amalric, which was the winner of the award for Best Director at Cannes and nominated for the Palm d'Or.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Specifications

We've all got our idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing--a special chair we have to sit in, a certain kind of yellow paper we absolutely must use. To create this tremendously affecting memoir, Jean-Dominique Bauby used the only tool available to him--his left eye--with which he blinked out its short chapters, letter by letter. Two years ago, Bauby, then the 43-year-old editor-in-chief of Elle France, suffered a rare stroke to the brain stem; only his left eye and brain escaped damage. Rather than accept his "locked in" situation as a kind of death, Bauby ignited a fire of the imagination under himself and lived his last days--he died two days after the French publication of this slim volume--spiritually unfettered. In these pages Bauby journeys to exotic places he has and has not been, serving himself delectable gourmet meals along the way (surprise: everything's ripe and nothing burns). In the simplest of terms he describes how it feels to see reflected in a window "the head of a man who seemed to have emerged from a vat of formaldehyde."

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Customer Reviews

Beautiful, terrifying, inspiring... - e. verrillo - williamsburg, ma
The first time I read this book it flew by lightly and quickly, like the passage of a butterfly. When I was finished I just sat there, stunned by the last line. Actually, I was stunned by the whole thing. How, I thought, does a man who has been completely paralyzed by a stroke manage to write a book?

Jean-Dominique Bauby's feat was quite literally death-defying. It was accomplished by blinking his left eyelid, the only part of his body which remained mobile, to choose letters of the alphabet which his scribe read aloud. It took two minutes for him to compose a single word. There was no editing, no rethinking, no discussion. Every word, every thought, every memory, every image had to be chosen with exquisite care, memorized, and then kept intact in his mind while he painstakingly conveyed them to the outside world.

So, I read the book again, this time entering the diving bell. I read it slowly and conscientiously, like a poem, realizing that each word was a precious commodity, each sentence an act of faith, each image a microcosm of the universe. And I was rewarded. While the beauty of Bauby's writing and the strength of his character impressed me on the first reading, the second reading transported me into another plane of existence.

Do we take talking, and eating, and moving our limbs for granted? Yes, we do. Do we take our pleasures, and our passions, our loves and those who love us for granted? Yes, we do. Do I have the patience, the will power, the love of life, and the indomitable spirit of Jean-Dominique Bauby? No, I don't. But, even though his plight was the most frightening thing I can imagine, I am so very grateful that Jean-Dominique made the superhuman effort he did, and that I entered the diving bell with him--ever so briefly.

A must read for every healthcare worker , Dr to orderly!!! - holly nelson -
- As an RN(and potential patient, as we all are), this book affected me greatly!! I want to give this book to every new graduate RN, orderly, MD and technician. The author's account of people who were "trying to help" when he was "must be tired" by shutting off the soccer match, what a revelation and an opportunity to re-think almost every patient interaction that I've ever had. Not depressing at all, deeply moving and so real because it could be anybody! What a triumph of human determination to dictate the book at all and share his incredibly moving and, I'm sure incredibly frustrating, experience. His selflessnes to tell his tale is extremely moving. Buy a copy for everyone that you know!!!

diving bell and the butterfly - katie -
the book was in the condition described (good to new) and arrived promptly. great transaction! would definitely do business with this seller again.

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010