The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

This is a beautiful, poetic narrative of a suffering person. As odd as it may sound to describe suffering as beautiful, the author, Jean-Dominique Bauby, accomplishes a striking work of art. Despite the grimness, the memoir is more about celebrating memories and life. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a fast, simple read with chapters no longer than four or five pages. However, the greatest feat of the book is the manner in which it is written. The author dictates the book by only blinking his left eye.To give the reader background, Bauby was the former editor for French Elle Magazine. A high profile, powerful man, he lived life to the fullest- meetings with the elite, mistresses galore, high fashion. The author explains in the book that his life comes crashing down in the back of a Benz; he suffers a life debilitating stroke that sends him into a month long coma. After he wakes from his coma, he is cognizant of everything around him. The only issue is that he is permanently locked in his own mind. Unfortunately, he lives the last years of his life suffering from a condition called “Locked-in Syndrome.” It is an extremely rare condition in which the person is literally locked in his/her mind unable to be mobile or communicate.

The only movement the author manages is blinking his left eye. Through the help of a speech therapist, a common usage alphabet is created. Each letter used comes from approved through a blink by Bauby. As a result, the entire novel is thought of and edited in Bauby’s own mind.
The author’s creativity and poetic expression is shown in various chapters. Amidst this beauty is also a longing and sadness for the man that has to live his life in this tortuous manner. The following is an excerpt:

“Hunched in my wheelchair, I watch my children surreptitiously as their mother pushes me down the hospital corridor. While I have become something of a zombie father, Theophile and Celeste are very much flesh and blood, energetic and noisy. I will never tire of seeing them walk alongside me, just walking, their confident expressions masking the unease weighing on their small shoulders.”

Apparently, there is a French independent movie that came out in 2007 about this story, which won many awards and was nominated for four Academy Awards. Regardless of the film, the book is worth reading because the splendor of the writing and the ease of reading makes the reader want more.