The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly [Paperback]

 

 

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I find it hard to write about this novel, for what can I say that can justify the feelings & emotions this book invokes in the reader. A novel written by a man whose only form of communication is to blink his left eye when a visitor recites the correct letter, where Bauby must have spent hours agonising over every word, sentence and paragraph whilst many writers will write chapters in half the time, similarly, as a reader I find that I also spend more time pondering over each sentence, giving myself time to digest what has just been said - this is truly a novel where every word counts, because the writer didn`t have the leisure of wasting pages with words that have no worth. This may be a short novel, but it takes time to read, not only because you'll want to re-read whole paragraphs at a time, but because, on countless occasions, you'll read something that will make you pause for a while, put the book down, and simply sit and think. Bauby's own contemplation rubs off on the reader, where he cannot fill in all the details, the reader appeals to their imagination and allows their mind to fill in the blanks of horror and fear.

Bauby's style deserves a mention. Whether through skill, detachment, selflessness, or purely based on the difficulty of communication, Bauby adopts a style that is not only honest, but subtle, to the point, without pity, and riddled with dark humour. If this was an overly dramatic novel full of misery and self pity then I would not be wasting my time writing a review. One thing that really struck me while reading this book was Bauby's sense of acceptance of it all. He describes his life, his routine, the inconsiderate behaviour of members of the hospital staff, his dreams, his family, his friends with such an acceptance and down to earth honesty that you can't help but to respect his character, which make his moments of weakness and grief all the more powerful and touching - because this is a man who does not feel sorry for himself even though he has more right to than most.

The novel itself is an easy (language wise, not content), short read that is highly reminiscent of children's books with it's large type and short chapters. Every sentence is to the point in such a way that you cannot simply skim paragraphs but have to devour them carefully, sentence by sentence. Bauby is a clever, witty man and much of his humour can easily be unnoticed by skim reading. Many of the sadder moments are laced with jokes, and though at first it may seem like Bauby is protecting the reader by making his situation seem not so bad, after a while you begin to suspect that it's not for anyone else's benefit but his own, because without this humour, he'd have to accept just how dire his situation is. It's a way for him to cope, and prevents the novel from becoming an incredibly dark read. One of these moments is when he talks about how, before the stroke he wanted to write a novel based on `The Count Monte-Cristo' and thought it was a funny coincidence how he has turned out like the main character of the novel (paralysed). Now, he is planning to write a vast saga where the main character is a runner, with the chapter ending with, `You never know. It might work'. Though it may seem like a dismissive, half hearted comment, when you look back and see how hard he must have laboured to write this chapter to get to this point, you realise that, through the joke, he's actually being serious.

There's no doubt this is a touching novel. The last lines speak for themselves. As I mentioned at the start, this is a hard novel to talk about content wise, and in a way I feel that to try and analyse what Bauby has said is to dilute it, to take away from it's essence. Really, it's a novel that speaks for itself if you let it.

A Critic once said, `Read this book and fall back in love with life'. If I were you, I' take his advice.

I know you're not supposed to focus on the author and their situation rather than the actual book, but in this case it's hard not to. I have read this book several times and each time it has the effect of making me profoundly glad to be alive. Bauby is keenly aware of his exclusion from the things in life which we take for granted every day - a hot bath with a cup of tea and a good book, for example - and makes the reader realise exactly how much we do take for granted, things that we should be so, so grateful for if ever we were, like him, unable to ever experience them again. As well, it is an excellent book in itself: movng and beautifully written, and showing clearly the humour and the courage of the writer in the hardest and most horrible of situations. It is also a testament to the strength of the mind and consciousness: trapped within his head, Bauby revisits every aspect of his past and conjures up tastes, sounds, smells and sensations. The book is enjoyable and easy to read; I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly is a truly extraordinary book and gives us a unique insight into a thankfully rare condition known as locked in syndrome. In 1995 Jean Dominique Bauby, Editor in Chief of Elle Magazine, suffered a massive stroke which rendered him completely paralysed and speechless. Communicating by blinking his left eyelid he painstakingly dictated this book and died two days after its publication. The ability of Bauby to keep his composure in the face of such a terrifying experience seems to be attributable to a futile belief in his ultimate recovery and a side effect of this syndrome where sufferers do not appear to experience terror, rather tranquillity tapered by sadness. Few sufferers have expressed a wish to die thus demonstrating the strength of the human spirit and the triumph of hope over adversity. There are moments of deep sadness and one of the most poignant passages describes father's day on the beach when Bauby longs to reach out and hug his young son. However, at times the book is a celebration of his former charmed life and the richness of his narrative is remarkable as he recalls his past in vivid detail. Very thought provoking and well worth the read

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A wonderful book. Funny, sad and beautifully written, this is one of those books that every single human being should read. Read more

Published 12 days ago by Avid Reader

2.0 out of 5 stars Mildly interesting mercifully short
Amazing that this book could be written by someone who could move only his left eyelid following a stroke. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Brainman60

4.0 out of 5 stars Astounding feat of determination results in highly readable book
I'm sure everyone will know the background to this autobiography, written by the laborious process of blinking an eyelid at letter after letter. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Archy

4.0 out of 5 stars There's very little here, but what there is is beautiful
According to the front cover, this is "one of the great books of the [20th] century". Seeing that it was published in 1997, that means that it is supposedly up there with... Read more

Published 4 months ago by D. R. Cantrell

5.0 out of 5 stars TheDiving- Bell and the Butterfly
Excellent read and inspirational. More people should read this sort of thing. especially carers who can so easily become depressed and who want to be more positive.

Published 4 months ago by P. J. Newman

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking
This is a book that everyone should read. it demonstrates the power of the human spirit against almost insurmountable odds. Read more

Published 4 months ago by M. Robertson

5.0 out of 5 stars A message for all who treat and care for stroke patients
Jean-Dominique Bauby, thanks to modern resusicitation techniques, survived a massive stroke but only to have his agony "prolonged and refined". Read more

Published 4 months ago by Isabelle

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
I read this book in one go completely captivated by the way it is written, the content and the reflective world Bauby has created here. Read more

Published 4 months ago by margaretw

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I had heard about the Frenchman with locked-in syndrome following a stroke. Found it a fascinating read. Most people could manage it in one sitting. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Auntie Jean

5.0 out of 5 stars A humbling read
This is a truly moving, powerful and ultimately life-affirming narrative and in my opinion is right up there with the very best that non-fiction can offer. Read more

Published 6 months ago by John Moseley

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