Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Vintage (1998), 131 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML:A triumphant memoir by the former editor-in-chief of French Elle that reveals an indomitable spirit and celebrates the liberating power of consciousness. In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young children, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem. After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book. By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an "inexhaustible reservoir of sensations," keeping in touch with himself and the life around him. Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This book is a lasting testament to his life.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member absurdeist
Perhaps if Jean-Dominique Bauby's story of "locked-in syndrome" - a rare cerebrovascular condition in which the mind ("The Butterfly") is vibrant and wide awake, while the body ("The Diving Bell") is a slumbering mass of perpetual immobility and inertia (a very personal prison cell comprised of his
"But to keep my mind sharp, to avoid descending into resigned indifference, I maintain a level of resentment and anger, neither too much nor too little, just as a pressure cooker has a safety valve to keep it from exploding."
Chew on that lyrical gem a bit. Words to live by, even if your body, unlike Bauby's, is not permanently paralyzed.
Perhaps if this poor man, victim of a massive and usually lethal stroke at 43 that left him in a coma for two months, weren't dead right now, and hadn't died so soon after completing what could be considered the most concentrated (and certainly shortest) tome ever written, or had I not known these horrible facts while reading the book, I could say then, and only then, that I enjoyed it, the book. I greatly enjoyed the poetic, philosophic writing, the sardonic humor despite his heartfelt and unfathomable (for someone not trapped in his godawful situation) psychological suffering and loss, and even the occasional, understandable, bitter barbs of incisive wit he let loose, I liked too (i.e., an insensitive, gruff doctor asks Bauby, "Do you see double?", and Bauby, internally, replies, "Yes, I see two assholes, not one."). But how can I honestly say I enjoyed this story? I suppose I did enjoy it - the storytelling, that is - but I likewise didn't enjoy poor Jean-Dominique Bauby's tragic story. A story that just as easily could be anyone's story at any time, should Fate or God or The Cosmos or Whatever determines to do to you what it determined so abruptly and brutally - fatally - for Bauby.
It's so much easier to read something deliciously depressing like The Road because it's obviously made up stuff no matter how realistic the author breathes whatever bleak and ruined life into the characters and settings and scenarios he's created, but The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is about as in-your-face, depressingly real as it gets. And it's not depressing necessarily because of anything Bauby said (or how he said it) - though I will wholeheartedly say that Bauby said as much about life - and about death and suffering and how to deal with the latter two as optimistically as possible - I believe, in barely 100 pages (and did so only by blinking his left eye! - you just try communicating and writing anything - let alone what borders on the meaning of life - just by blinking your left eye!), as any existentialist, 19th century Russian masterpiece could say even though it pushed or exceeded a thousand pages.
Bauby indelibly tapped into the primal human horror of having complete consciousness, and yet being so ill-equipped to communicate that consciousness - to connect it - to another human being as to take humanity's innate dread of loneliness and abandonment to levels perhaps previously unrealized in fiction or non-fiction. I've a dear daughter "locked-in" her own isolated interior world of autism, and knowing Bauby through his brief book, helps me understand and recognize more clearly that there's probably a lot more going on beneath the surface with my mostly non-verbal, uncommunicative daughter than I ever realized.
The book, quite simply, is beautifully sad. Hopeful, and yet despairing. Inspiring, yes, but not "joyous," as the dumb publishing blurb on the back, falsely claims. Movie tie-in marketing no comprendo's.
I don't recommend The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, but I think everyone should read it.
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own flesh and blood) - were fictional rather than so terribly true, I'd of more so savored each of his spare sentences. For each sparkling sentence is a story or a truth unto itself."But to keep my mind sharp, to avoid descending into resigned indifference, I maintain a level of resentment and anger, neither too much nor too little, just as a pressure cooker has a safety valve to keep it from exploding."
Chew on that lyrical gem a bit. Words to live by, even if your body, unlike Bauby's, is not permanently paralyzed.
Perhaps if this poor man, victim of a massive and usually lethal stroke at 43 that left him in a coma for two months, weren't dead right now, and hadn't died so soon after completing what could be considered the most concentrated (and certainly shortest) tome ever written, or had I not known these horrible facts while reading the book, I could say then, and only then, that I enjoyed it, the book. I greatly enjoyed the poetic, philosophic writing, the sardonic humor despite his heartfelt and unfathomable (for someone not trapped in his godawful situation) psychological suffering and loss, and even the occasional, understandable, bitter barbs of incisive wit he let loose, I liked too (i.e., an insensitive, gruff doctor asks Bauby, "Do you see double?", and Bauby, internally, replies, "Yes, I see two assholes, not one."). But how can I honestly say I enjoyed this story? I suppose I did enjoy it - the storytelling, that is - but I likewise didn't enjoy poor Jean-Dominique Bauby's tragic story. A story that just as easily could be anyone's story at any time, should Fate or God or The Cosmos or Whatever determines to do to you what it determined so abruptly and brutally - fatally - for Bauby.
It's so much easier to read something deliciously depressing like The Road because it's obviously made up stuff no matter how realistic the author breathes whatever bleak and ruined life into the characters and settings and scenarios he's created, but The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is about as in-your-face, depressingly real as it gets. And it's not depressing necessarily because of anything Bauby said (or how he said it) - though I will wholeheartedly say that Bauby said as much about life - and about death and suffering and how to deal with the latter two as optimistically as possible - I believe, in barely 100 pages (and did so only by blinking his left eye! - you just try communicating and writing anything - let alone what borders on the meaning of life - just by blinking your left eye!), as any existentialist, 19th century Russian masterpiece could say even though it pushed or exceeded a thousand pages.
Bauby indelibly tapped into the primal human horror of having complete consciousness, and yet being so ill-equipped to communicate that consciousness - to connect it - to another human being as to take humanity's innate dread of loneliness and abandonment to levels perhaps previously unrealized in fiction or non-fiction. I've a dear daughter "locked-in" her own isolated interior world of autism, and knowing Bauby through his brief book, helps me understand and recognize more clearly that there's probably a lot more going on beneath the surface with my mostly non-verbal, uncommunicative daughter than I ever realized.
The book, quite simply, is beautifully sad. Hopeful, and yet despairing. Inspiring, yes, but not "joyous," as the dumb publishing blurb on the back, falsely claims. Movie tie-in marketing no comprendo's.
I don't recommend The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, but I think everyone should read it.
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LibraryThing member kiravk
Out of everything I've ever read, I have never encountered a book quite as poignant and touching as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 43-year-old Jean Paul Bauby is on top of the world as the editor-in-chief of French Elle. He has two children and a dynamic career, but his plans for the future are
For all the damage that has been done, one seemingly insignificant piece of control remains: Bauby is able to blink his left eye. By blinking to select letters of the alphabet as they are recited to him, one by one, he communicates his thoughts in vivid prose.
You might think that a 131 page book written in this fashion would be a clunky read. Instead, this autobiography is, at the risk of sounding trite, absolutely beautiful. His words dance off the page. There is no pretension, no bitterness or self pity. His descriptions of the past and present are observant and often witty (“ If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere"), while other parts are heart wrenching. For all the optimism Bauby attempts to muster, there is no avoiding the cruelty of his condition.
“ Today is Father’s Day,” he writes. “ Until my stroke, we had felt no need to fit this made-up holiday into our emotional calendar. But today we spend 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. I am torn between joy at seeing them living, moving, laughing or crying for a few hours, and fear that the sight of all these sufferings---beginning with mine---is not the ideal entertainment for a boy of ten and his eight-year-old sister.”
Ultimately, this book isn’t so much about locked-in syndrome as it is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. Bauby’s extraordinary attitude will leave you thinking about life, and the simple, mundane tasks we take for granted, long after you finish the last page.
If you read only one book this year, it needs to be this one.
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shattered when a stroke to the brain sends him into a coma. Twenty days later, he wakes to a body that no longer works. He is a "mind in a jar"---completely paralyzed, mute, and half-deaf, but cursed with a fully functioning brain. For all the damage that has been done, one seemingly insignificant piece of control remains: Bauby is able to blink his left eye. By blinking to select letters of the alphabet as they are recited to him, one by one, he communicates his thoughts in vivid prose.
You might think that a 131 page book written in this fashion would be a clunky read. Instead, this autobiography is, at the risk of sounding trite, absolutely beautiful. His words dance off the page. There is no pretension, no bitterness or self pity. His descriptions of the past and present are observant and often witty (“ If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere"), while other parts are heart wrenching. For all the optimism Bauby attempts to muster, there is no avoiding the cruelty of his condition.
“ Today is Father’s Day,” he writes. “ Until my stroke, we had felt no need to fit this made-up holiday into our emotional calendar. But today we spend 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. I am torn between joy at seeing them living, moving, laughing or crying for a few hours, and fear that the sight of all these sufferings---beginning with mine---is not the ideal entertainment for a boy of ten and his eight-year-old sister.”
Ultimately, this book isn’t so much about locked-in syndrome as it is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. Bauby’s extraordinary attitude will leave you thinking about life, and the simple, mundane tasks we take for granted, long after you finish the last page.
If you read only one book this year, it needs to be this one.
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LibraryThing member cestovatela
At the age of 42, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a catastrophic stroke that left him able to move only his left eyelid. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the memoir he dictated by blinking. Bauby's days are spent in a hospital bed, barely able to communicate with the doctors and nurses who care
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for him, isolated from other patients and tormented by mundane noises like the television and floor waxing machine. And yet, in spite of his tremendous disability, Bauby is vibrantly alive. "So many things to do today," he says at the beginning of chapter 2 before describing mental voyages through famous cities, favorite restaurants and childhood fantasies. What makes him so admirable is that he doesn't sugarcoat the mental and physical anguish of his condition; he acknowledges it simply and honestly, then moves on. Bauby's prose is spare and elegant. Not a word is wasted and not a drop of cheesiness creeps into the narrative. The words "triumph of the human spirit" are bandied about so often they've become almost meaningless, but this book truly deserves that title. Show Less
LibraryThing member krazy4katz
This is a beautifully written, memoir by the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Elle. Bauby suffered a massive stroke in his 40s, leaving him unable to communicate except by blinking his left eye. Somehow, it is not a particularly sad book. It is obvious from his story that he was a man who lived
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"the good life" of wealth, travel, good food, and a loving family. In spite of all that he lost, his reflections are full of beautiful imagery of his past life, the day dreams that he used to manage his present situation and his hopes for the future. His thoughts seemed to seep directly into my mind, fully developed as images, without the normally required translation into written words. A tiny treasure. Show Less
LibraryThing member RyanBest
Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a thought-provoking and inspiring read. The novel details the daily life of Bauby, who suffers from locked-in syndrome. Once the editor of the French magazine ELLE, Bauby suffered a massive stroke, sending him into a coma. When he
The entirety of this book, in reality, occurs solely in Bauby’s hospital bed and the surrounding hallways and corridors. However, Bauby’s imagination takes the readers out into the French theatre, picturesque beaches and wide open outer space. We can picture Bauby sitting at a long wooden table divulging into his favorite feast. His vivid description also takes us back into the time of the accident, into a speeding car where Bauby’s mortality catches up with him.
The main characters in Bauby’s memoir are Bauby, his family and his assistant Claude who records his intended letters for the next word by a series of blinks. Bauby specifically characterizes his locked-in syndrome, and it in essence becomes a character in itself. It does not seem to be a part of Bauby, but instead an outside force (a diving bell) that prevents him from playing with his son and carrying on daily activities that we all take for granted. His explanation of this oppressive bell, however, and its inability to break Bauby’s spirit says more about him than he could ever wish to convey. It shows the reader of Bauby’s perseverant sense of humor and optimistic view point on life itself.
He helps inspire us to put our lives into perspective and enjoy each minute for what it is. As Bauby dives into each aspect of his life, we learn more and more about Bauby but also an incredible amount about ourselves and what is important to us. This is certainly a book that will make an impact on your life, as it has mine.
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awoke, his mind was fully functional but he had no ability to move any part of his body, other than his left eyelid. In this memoir he explains how he tries to interact with the people around him and explains how his imagination takes him places his body can’t. He shares with his readers his outlook on life and his sense of humor. He also narrates some of his life before the accident, including the stroke itself, and how his new life began after this night.The entirety of this book, in reality, occurs solely in Bauby’s hospital bed and the surrounding hallways and corridors. However, Bauby’s imagination takes the readers out into the French theatre, picturesque beaches and wide open outer space. We can picture Bauby sitting at a long wooden table divulging into his favorite feast. His vivid description also takes us back into the time of the accident, into a speeding car where Bauby’s mortality catches up with him.
The main characters in Bauby’s memoir are Bauby, his family and his assistant Claude who records his intended letters for the next word by a series of blinks. Bauby specifically characterizes his locked-in syndrome, and it in essence becomes a character in itself. It does not seem to be a part of Bauby, but instead an outside force (a diving bell) that prevents him from playing with his son and carrying on daily activities that we all take for granted. His explanation of this oppressive bell, however, and its inability to break Bauby’s spirit says more about him than he could ever wish to convey. It shows the reader of Bauby’s perseverant sense of humor and optimistic view point on life itself.
He helps inspire us to put our lives into perspective and enjoy each minute for what it is. As Bauby dives into each aspect of his life, we learn more and more about Bauby but also an incredible amount about ourselves and what is important to us. This is certainly a book that will make an impact on your life, as it has mine.
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LibraryThing member ThoughtsofJoyLibrary
Note: Sharing my thoughts about this book is very difficult; however, I'm going to stay true to myself and post my thoughts honestly like I have done with every other book I have read. People may think of me as cold or insensitive, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Jean-Dominique Bauby,
My heart goes out to Jean-Dominique (JD) and to all those that suffer with "locked-in syndrome." How devastating and frustrating it would be to be trapped in one's own body. I applaud, respect and admire JD for accomplishing such an incredible task - the dictation of a book, letter by letter, with only one eyelid. It's remarkable to say the least. However, I am not rating JD as a man, I am rating my experience reading the book. On the surface, his tenacity is something to aspire to, but the story lacks any deep emotion or passion. There's a tender moment or two, but for the most part he holds himself in check, avoiding any self-pity, but I think in that process he left out his heart.
It's my understanding that the movie is fantastic and one worth seeing many times over. So, I'm going to make a conscience attempt to get the movie and I'm hoping to see what I missed in the book. (2.75/5)
Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
Jean-Dominique Bauby,
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the editor of Elle Magazine, suffered a massive stroke at the age of 43. The stroke left Jean-Dominique paralyzed - except for his left eyelid. That single eyelid provided him the only option for communicating with the outside world.My heart goes out to Jean-Dominique (JD) and to all those that suffer with "locked-in syndrome." How devastating and frustrating it would be to be trapped in one's own body. I applaud, respect and admire JD for accomplishing such an incredible task - the dictation of a book, letter by letter, with only one eyelid. It's remarkable to say the least. However, I am not rating JD as a man, I am rating my experience reading the book. On the surface, his tenacity is something to aspire to, but the story lacks any deep emotion or passion. There's a tender moment or two, but for the most part he holds himself in check, avoiding any self-pity, but I think in that process he left out his heart.
It's my understanding that the movie is fantastic and one worth seeing many times over. So, I'm going to make a conscience attempt to get the movie and I'm hoping to see what I missed in the book. (2.75/5)
Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
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LibraryThing member kimberlydahl
Jean-Dominique Bauby was forty-three when his body was thrust into the aptly termed ‘locked-in syndrome.’ Modern medicine stood victoriously over the massive stroke that threatened to fell Bauby in 1995; one wonders how much celebration this triumph deserves. Bauby’s mind, maintaining its
Bauby chronicles his post-disaster experiences bluntly, drifting neither to woeful pleas nor to survivalist euphemism. Though never ignoring the helpings of pain, humiliation, boredom, and frustration his broken body delivers each day, he describes them with a directness, a matter-of-fact resignation, even a dry humor. His style thus insulates the reader from the tragedy of his existence while still affording a complete understanding of experience of Bauby’s imprisonment. Diving Bell is not a call for pity, a catharsis, or a tirade; it is a reminder to the players in his life, perhaps most of all himself, that the man Bauby was before 8 December 1995 still exists.
Bauby wanders from present to past, even daring to consider the future, sculpting an image of the person a near half-century of life has molded. Although he speaks wonderingly of the opinions of people who met him ‘before’ as compared to those who met him ‘after,’ for Bauby there is no discernible difference between these seemingly disparate identities. The reader meets Bauby in his current state and knows this to be the same man who fathered two children, traveled as often and as far as he could, and toiled as editor-in-chief of Elle magazine. He has succeeded, then, in that goal.
Though Bauby reminisces often about the people in his life, these characters remain somewhat ghostly figures in Diving Bell. Robbed of the privilege of exchange, Bauby interacts in such a one-sided manner that his interlocutors seem to be his own creations. The reader learns little about the individuals that comfort, infuriate, entertain, and annoy Bauby. This, along with the brevity of the book and the abruptness of its end, leaves the reader anxious for more. One suffers a pleasurable curiosity, however, not a frustrating emptiness, a gratifying lesson in empathy for a man who, like the reader, cannot ask for more.
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intellectual and emotional competence, now physically controls only his left eye. Through this minute gesture, he blinks out a 132-page memoir describing his life as a has-been in the cruelest sense of the word.Bauby chronicles his post-disaster experiences bluntly, drifting neither to woeful pleas nor to survivalist euphemism. Though never ignoring the helpings of pain, humiliation, boredom, and frustration his broken body delivers each day, he describes them with a directness, a matter-of-fact resignation, even a dry humor. His style thus insulates the reader from the tragedy of his existence while still affording a complete understanding of experience of Bauby’s imprisonment. Diving Bell is not a call for pity, a catharsis, or a tirade; it is a reminder to the players in his life, perhaps most of all himself, that the man Bauby was before 8 December 1995 still exists.
Bauby wanders from present to past, even daring to consider the future, sculpting an image of the person a near half-century of life has molded. Although he speaks wonderingly of the opinions of people who met him ‘before’ as compared to those who met him ‘after,’ for Bauby there is no discernible difference between these seemingly disparate identities. The reader meets Bauby in his current state and knows this to be the same man who fathered two children, traveled as often and as far as he could, and toiled as editor-in-chief of Elle magazine. He has succeeded, then, in that goal.
Though Bauby reminisces often about the people in his life, these characters remain somewhat ghostly figures in Diving Bell. Robbed of the privilege of exchange, Bauby interacts in such a one-sided manner that his interlocutors seem to be his own creations. The reader learns little about the individuals that comfort, infuriate, entertain, and annoy Bauby. This, along with the brevity of the book and the abruptness of its end, leaves the reader anxious for more. One suffers a pleasurable curiosity, however, not a frustrating emptiness, a gratifying lesson in empathy for a man who, like the reader, cannot ask for more.
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LibraryThing member Fullmoonblue
Impressive (considering the author's efforts) but not quite as moving as other reviews led me to expect. I was sometimes reminded of reading Look Up for Yes, a memoir of life 'locked-in' after a coma, written years back by an American woman named Julia Tavalaro. Both memoirs affirm the critical
So what can I say about The Diving-Bell that hasn't been said yet? One aspect of the book that stood out to me, owing to my own background and interests, were his periodic references to Arabs and Islam. I'll discuss that here, since no other review I've read yet have touched on this (admittedly small, but interesting) aspect of the story. So here it is. Bauby's references to Arabs were, unfortunately, usually related to violence and extremism, ssuch as the murder of seven monks in Algeria (during the 90s I think) and, later, a friend taken hostage by Hezboallah. Bauby also calls on images of the Thousand and One Nights, an image of Aladdin's cave, and a postal stamp from a Middle Eastern country in an attempt to conjure up his feelings about wealth, adventure, and exoticism. It reminds the reader that, sadly, Bauby's days of travel were done... but it also rubbed me slightly the wrong way.
Please note. I don't mean to suggest that this memoir was shallow, insensitive, or any less worth reading for those perhaps silly reasons. But those things do illustrate how seamlessly those perceptions about the Arab/Muslim world (exotic, dangerous) seemed to have been woven into Bauby's worldview. (In the same vein, while daydreaming about being able to rise from his bed, via TV, and take part in famous military endeavors included a reference to parachuting into Dien Bien Phu.)
Anyway, I suppose Bauby's being French accounts for these things, in a specific sense... but his being a member of the 'West' accounts for them in a larger sense. So I guess in addition to being an impressive memoir of dealing with a terrible health crisis, this short memoir can also be read as an exercise in postcolonial awareness. And I do wonder what the author would have thought about that; he came off seeming a very thoughtful guy. Wish he were still around to tell us.
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importance of compassionate caregivers and attentive speech therapists. But Tavalaro's, for whatever reason, came off as significantly more personal. So what can I say about The Diving-Bell that hasn't been said yet? One aspect of the book that stood out to me, owing to my own background and interests, were his periodic references to Arabs and Islam. I'll discuss that here, since no other review I've read yet have touched on this (admittedly small, but interesting) aspect of the story. So here it is. Bauby's references to Arabs were, unfortunately, usually related to violence and extremism, ssuch as the murder of seven monks in Algeria (during the 90s I think) and, later, a friend taken hostage by Hezboallah. Bauby also calls on images of the Thousand and One Nights, an image of Aladdin's cave, and a postal stamp from a Middle Eastern country in an attempt to conjure up his feelings about wealth, adventure, and exoticism. It reminds the reader that, sadly, Bauby's days of travel were done... but it also rubbed me slightly the wrong way.
Please note. I don't mean to suggest that this memoir was shallow, insensitive, or any less worth reading for those perhaps silly reasons. But those things do illustrate how seamlessly those perceptions about the Arab/Muslim world (exotic, dangerous) seemed to have been woven into Bauby's worldview. (In the same vein, while daydreaming about being able to rise from his bed, via TV, and take part in famous military endeavors included a reference to parachuting into Dien Bien Phu.)
Anyway, I suppose Bauby's being French accounts for these things, in a specific sense... but his being a member of the 'West' accounts for them in a larger sense. So I guess in addition to being an impressive memoir of dealing with a terrible health crisis, this short memoir can also be read as an exercise in postcolonial awareness. And I do wonder what the author would have thought about that; he came off seeming a very thoughtful guy. Wish he were still around to tell us.
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LibraryThing member Niecierpek
The author, Jean-Dominique Bauby, paralysed after a massive stroke, unable to breathe or move on his own, managed to dictate this book with his left eyelid. He did it with the help of a speech therapist and a secretary who took down his words when he blinked the letters of the alphabet she pointed
What emerged from this labour is a combination of images from his life which stood vividly in his mind, and, equally vivid, his life in the hospital in the paralysed state. It’s very well written and utterly fascinating, intense, devoid of self pity and full of tenderness and love of life. It manages to be witty and entertaining on top of everything else.
It's bound to become one of more memorable books I've read.
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to: one blink for ‘yes’, two blinks for ‘no’. Unable to move, yet in full control of his mental faculties, he felt like a deep-sea diver in one of those heavy diving suits he was unable to control, with his mind fluttering like a butterfly going from letter to letter, word to word, event to event. He spent most of the nights editing his thoughts and memorizing paragraphs which he then dictated during the day. The book supposedly took about two hundred thousand blinks to write and was written in the summer of 1996, about half a year after his stroke.What emerged from this labour is a combination of images from his life which stood vividly in his mind, and, equally vivid, his life in the hospital in the paralysed state. It’s very well written and utterly fascinating, intense, devoid of self pity and full of tenderness and love of life. It manages to be witty and entertaining on top of everything else.
It's bound to become one of more memorable books I've read.
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LibraryThing member Eoin
Shattering. Try blinking out something better. I dare you.
LibraryThing member joes
There are few books , if any, that I can honestly say were anywhere near as moving as this one. If you haven't read it, do. It is far more uplifting and life enhancing than any of the so called 'self help' books you're likely to read and although simply written it does so with style.
LibraryThing member ClicksClan
I heard about The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly many years ago. As part of our English GCSE work we looked at the play Whose Life Is It Anyway? and Jean-Dominique Bauby's autobiography came up in conversation. I didn't get to read it then though, the subject matter interested me, but I wasn't sure
Then, a couple of years ago, it was the book choice for the HTV book club, so I grabbed a copy from the local library. I immediately fell in love with the cover. It was truly beautiful, all shiny and sparkly, like a butterfly's wing.
Last year The Book People advertised their Stranger Than Fiction set of books and the main books that sold it to me were The Perfect Storm and this book. I really wanted a copy of my own, I would have loved to have had the copy pictured above, but I'm happy with the one I got.
It's a truly incredible story, and it's quite horrifying to think about. Imagine being trapped in you own body, unable to move and your only method of communication is via blinking one eye (the other having been sewn shut for its own protection). It's a truly incredible story. Somehow all the more special because it's true, Bauby is telling his own story.
It's a very short book. I started reading it in the morning, and was a good portion of the way through it by the time I stopped. When I went to bed (rather late) I decided to read on and realised I was over half-way through it. So I just kept going, it's far too good to stop and can easily be read in one sitting. I ended it finishing it shortly after midnight.
I do rather selfishly wish that it was longer. It's a selfish thought of course, when you consider the effort that went into its creation. Bauby had to work with another person who would run through the letters of the alphabet and watch for his blink each time they reached the letter he wanted. It must have taken so much effort to get even a sentence out, I really can't complain about the fact that I wish there were another 160 pages to devour during my reading session.
It's a book which really speaks for itself, there's so much I could say for it, but I think it would be far better for you just to go out and read a copy yourself. You'll fall in love with it, you just can't help but love it. Bauby has the chance to be such a tragic character, but he isn't really, it's incredible how he's able to keep going and produce a fantastic book. Though you can feel his pain in the text, the way he's longing for his lost life and independence. It's a real shame that he never got the chance to make more of a recovery; he died shortly after the book's publication.
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that it was the sort of thing that I really wanted to read (at the time).Then, a couple of years ago, it was the book choice for the HTV book club, so I grabbed a copy from the local library. I immediately fell in love with the cover. It was truly beautiful, all shiny and sparkly, like a butterfly's wing.
Last year The Book People advertised their Stranger Than Fiction set of books and the main books that sold it to me were The Perfect Storm and this book. I really wanted a copy of my own, I would have loved to have had the copy pictured above, but I'm happy with the one I got.
It's a truly incredible story, and it's quite horrifying to think about. Imagine being trapped in you own body, unable to move and your only method of communication is via blinking one eye (the other having been sewn shut for its own protection). It's a truly incredible story. Somehow all the more special because it's true, Bauby is telling his own story.
It's a very short book. I started reading it in the morning, and was a good portion of the way through it by the time I stopped. When I went to bed (rather late) I decided to read on and realised I was over half-way through it. So I just kept going, it's far too good to stop and can easily be read in one sitting. I ended it finishing it shortly after midnight.
I do rather selfishly wish that it was longer. It's a selfish thought of course, when you consider the effort that went into its creation. Bauby had to work with another person who would run through the letters of the alphabet and watch for his blink each time they reached the letter he wanted. It must have taken so much effort to get even a sentence out, I really can't complain about the fact that I wish there were another 160 pages to devour during my reading session.
It's a book which really speaks for itself, there's so much I could say for it, but I think it would be far better for you just to go out and read a copy yourself. You'll fall in love with it, you just can't help but love it. Bauby has the chance to be such a tragic character, but he isn't really, it's incredible how he's able to keep going and produce a fantastic book. Though you can feel his pain in the text, the way he's longing for his lost life and independence. It's a real shame that he never got the chance to make more of a recovery; he died shortly after the book's publication.
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LibraryThing member BookAddict
A generous gift by a man who overcame a severe handicap to leave it to us.
I have always wondered what it would be like to be in complete control of my mind and yet be imprisoned in a body that I could not move. This book has answered that question for me.
It was written, surprisingly, with
If ever I feel the need to descend into depression I will think of Jean Bauby and remember that if he could find enjoyment in the smallest of life's pleasures in the remotest corner of life then I have much more to be grateful and happy about in my life.
I am grateful to him for this gift and my memory of him will always carry a great deal of respect for him.
I hope wherever he is, he's free
I have always wondered what it would be like to be in complete control of my mind and yet be imprisoned in a body that I could not move. This book has answered that question for me.
It was written, surprisingly, with
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virtually no self pity. I don't think I would be quite as brave if it were me. If ever I feel the need to descend into depression I will think of Jean Bauby and remember that if he could find enjoyment in the smallest of life's pleasures in the remotest corner of life then I have much more to be grateful and happy about in my life.
I am grateful to him for this gift and my memory of him will always carry a great deal of respect for him.
I hope wherever he is, he's free
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LibraryThing member kidzdoc
This is a true account of a man who suffers a massive stroke in his early 40s and develops "locked in syndrome" as a result. I read it during my pediatrics residency, as my father's brother was similarly disabled after a series of strokes. Bauby is almost completely paralyzed, and is only able to
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blink his left eyelids, which is how he is able to communicate to his secretary to write the book. She goes through a version of the French alphabet letter by letter, and he blinks when she gets to the correct one. It was not as bleak as you would think, and was absolutely unforgettable. Unfortunately, if I remember correctly, he died on the same day that it was published. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stbalbach
A beautiful memoir about paralysis and hospital life. I recently spent 6 weeks in a hospital with paraplegia and thus have an intimate sense of what paralysis is like. The useless limbs except as a source of pain, the limbs which hurt but could not tell if they are hot or cold, the empty Sundays,
"..these uncooperative deadweight limbs, which serve me only as a source of pain."
"..if the nervous system makes up its mind to start working again, it does so at the speed of hair growing from the base of the brain."
"But for now, I would be the happiest of men if I could just swallow the overflow of saliva that endlessly floods my mouth."
"If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere."
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the staff you want to kill over small slights, etc.. obviously this book means a lot to me and is among those rare few "favorites of a lifetime". The movie is very good too, although dramatized with some material that is purely fictional, it provides a visual sense to fill in the details of the book. The writing though, that is what makes it more than just another memoir. The first four short chapters: Prologue, Wheelchair, Prayer and Bathtime - are classics which stand alone as models of writing. Some favorite sentences"..these uncooperative deadweight limbs, which serve me only as a source of pain."
"..if the nervous system makes up its mind to start working again, it does so at the speed of hair growing from the base of the brain."
"But for now, I would be the happiest of men if I could just swallow the overflow of saliva that endlessly floods my mouth."
"If I must drool, I may as well drool on cashmere."
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LibraryThing member pokarekareana
I read this beautiful, beautiful book in a single sitting, late last night. I lay awake for hours afterwards thinking about it. Perhaps already famous for having been written by a man who communicated only by blinking one eye, there was always the danger that this book would turn out to be trite,
As it happened, Bauby found himself imprisoned. Trapped in his failing body, suddenly unable to move, when previously he had been an active forty-something with a family and a high-flying job, Bauby’s bewilderment is the most clear and profound message of this book. He speaks eloquently of his experience of the hospital, of each of his torturous days, of his few jaunts into the outside world. Perhaps most touching is his description of the day of his stroke, which was like any other until his world was torn from its moorings. That sense of a sudden horror resonated like a bell for me; serious illness swoops unexpectedly from nowhere and scrambles human lives into something unrecognisable.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Would you want to read it? If you’re not afraid of powerlessness, of frustration, of suffering that cannot properly be expressed, and a sense that Bauby was one of the great writers we never really got to read.
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poorly written, even dull. None of these came to pass. I’m quite sure that Bauby could have had a long career as the writer of great literature, had things turned out differently. As it happened, Bauby found himself imprisoned. Trapped in his failing body, suddenly unable to move, when previously he had been an active forty-something with a family and a high-flying job, Bauby’s bewilderment is the most clear and profound message of this book. He speaks eloquently of his experience of the hospital, of each of his torturous days, of his few jaunts into the outside world. Perhaps most touching is his description of the day of his stroke, which was like any other until his world was torn from its moorings. That sense of a sudden horror resonated like a bell for me; serious illness swoops unexpectedly from nowhere and scrambles human lives into something unrecognisable.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Would you want to read it? If you’re not afraid of powerlessness, of frustration, of suffering that cannot properly be expressed, and a sense that Bauby was one of the great writers we never really got to read.
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LibraryThing member willyt
This memoir was written "eye blink by eye blink" by the author who was suffering from locked-in syndrome. Probably because of the laborious method of dictation, the book is written in an impressionistic style, describing episodes from his previous and current life.
I thought the book was
I thought the book was
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interesting. I saw the movie after reading the book, and unlike most cases, I enjoyed the movie more than the book. I'll have to read book again and see if my perspective is difference. Show Less
LibraryThing member chocolatechip
this one made me cry, its a good reminder to enjoy life, and the perfect read for when you think your life stinks
LibraryThing member Aberjhani
A SMALL BOOK WITH A BIG SOUL
Jean-Dominique Bauby's THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY is a small book composed of many big wonders. Primary among this book's extraordinary qualities is the fact that Bauby, a former editor in chief of the world-famous French ELLE, was able to "write" it at all.
Anyone could easily have forgiven Bauby had he chosen to lapse into the kind of rage and unhinged sentimentality that characterize (although justifiably so) other memoirs based on extreme medical situations. However, he takes a wholly different route. Like "the invisible diving bell" that imprisons his body and the butterfly wings of memory and meditation that provide some relief, Bauby's prose floats back and forth between the severe and the sublime. Astonishing above all else is the stream of humor that flows unforced and unfettered throughout the book, as when the editor insists on being allowed to drool while dressed in cashmere rather than in hospital garb. From musings on the glamour of his former life to the simple pleasures of a leisurely bath, this book contains much irony and healthy doses of cynicism. It displays as well the brilliant dignity of one damaged soul's refusal to fade into nothingness before having its final say. Despite Bauby's death two days after the French publication of his book, his voice will boom through these pages for many years to come.
Aberjhani
author of I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY
and ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
Jean-Dominique Bauby's THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY is a small book composed of many big wonders. Primary among this book's extraordinary qualities is the fact that Bauby, a former editor in chief of the world-famous French ELLE, was able to "write" it at all.
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After suffering a stroke to his brain stem and spending 20 days in a coma, Bauby regained command of a nearly clairvoyant intellect but lost all authority over his body. The sole physical function he retained was the ability to blink his left eye; by use of it, he developed a kind of sign language that allowed him to dictate letter by painstaking letter the brief and luminous chapters that make up THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. Anyone could easily have forgiven Bauby had he chosen to lapse into the kind of rage and unhinged sentimentality that characterize (although justifiably so) other memoirs based on extreme medical situations. However, he takes a wholly different route. Like "the invisible diving bell" that imprisons his body and the butterfly wings of memory and meditation that provide some relief, Bauby's prose floats back and forth between the severe and the sublime. Astonishing above all else is the stream of humor that flows unforced and unfettered throughout the book, as when the editor insists on being allowed to drool while dressed in cashmere rather than in hospital garb. From musings on the glamour of his former life to the simple pleasures of a leisurely bath, this book contains much irony and healthy doses of cynicism. It displays as well the brilliant dignity of one damaged soul's refusal to fade into nothingness before having its final say. Despite Bauby's death two days after the French publication of his book, his voice will boom through these pages for many years to come.
Aberjhani
author of I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY
and ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
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LibraryThing member thimbleberry
kind of depressing, but a good reminder for when ever your feeling ungrateful
LibraryThing member bibliobibuli
Imagine the unimaginable if you will.
You are completely paralyzed. You cannot speak and the only part of your body you can move by yourself is one of your eyelids. Yet your mind is as sharp as ever and as you lie on your hospital bed, you are all too aware of the world around you and your
This is what happened to Jean-Dominique Bauby, who tells his story in The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly.
Yes, you read that right. Bauby dictated his story letter by letter, blinking as the letter he wants is read out from a chart by his bed.
How hard must that have been - mentally composing each passage, and having to hold it in his head, a flood of words that can only drip one letter at a time.
Bauby was the editor in chief of Elle magazine, and suffered a massive stroke at the age of 42 which left him trapped inside his body with "locked-in syndrome". He died two years later.
His writing is often moving, sometimes surprisingly humourous, but never self-pitying as he describes the hospital routines and his visitors, revisits his past and sheds the cocoon of his useless body to allow his mind free flight.
"You can visit the woman you love, slide down beside her and stroke her still- sleeping face. You can build castles in spain, steal the Golden fleece, realize your childhood dreams and adult ambition."
And yes ... if this poor soul with one working eyelid can write a book this good, what excuse do the rest of us have?
You are completely paralyzed. You cannot speak and the only part of your body you can move by yourself is one of your eyelids. Yet your mind is as sharp as ever and as you lie on your hospital bed, you are all too aware of the world around you and your
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condition.This is what happened to Jean-Dominique Bauby, who tells his story in The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly.
Yes, you read that right. Bauby dictated his story letter by letter, blinking as the letter he wants is read out from a chart by his bed.
How hard must that have been - mentally composing each passage, and having to hold it in his head, a flood of words that can only drip one letter at a time.
Bauby was the editor in chief of Elle magazine, and suffered a massive stroke at the age of 42 which left him trapped inside his body with "locked-in syndrome". He died two years later.
His writing is often moving, sometimes surprisingly humourous, but never self-pitying as he describes the hospital routines and his visitors, revisits his past and sheds the cocoon of his useless body to allow his mind free flight.
"You can visit the woman you love, slide down beside her and stroke her still- sleeping face. You can build castles in spain, steal the Golden fleece, realize your childhood dreams and adult ambition."
And yes ... if this poor soul with one working eyelid can write a book this good, what excuse do the rest of us have?
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LibraryThing member ColinFine
I wasn't as delighted by this as a lot of people have been.
Bearing in mind the circumstances of its writing, it is a wonderful achievement, but people talk about its value on its own terms.
I found it rather forgettable.
Bearing in mind the circumstances of its writing, it is a wonderful achievement, but people talk about its value on its own terms.
I found it rather forgettable.
LibraryThing member igor.kh
An extremely interesting book, especially considering that it was written by someone who can only communicate by blinking his left eye lid. Reading, it is easy to forget that the author is physically incapacitated and confined to a wheel chair. However, for me, that was one of the drawbacks, as I
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would have liked to get more insight into his condition "from within", rather than reminiscences of his earlier life. Show Less
LibraryThing member alspray
To the best of my knowledge, rarely has a so much been send in so few words. It makes me wonder why other memoirs need so many of them. This book reads more like a poem, each word precisely chosen and lovingly placed. I do not yet know if Bauby's story horrifies me or brings me great peace.
LibraryThing member atomheart
a unique, and beautiful memoir of a man whose situation is ghastly, unimaginable, and terrifying. the ability to read his thoughts through these pages is quite special, and should be read by all.
Subjects
Awards
BAFTA Award (Winner — Best Adapted Screenplay — 2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1997-05-13
Physical description
131 p.; 7.98 inches
ISBN
0375701214 / 9780375701214