Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
65 used & new from £0.27
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Diving-bell and the Butterfly
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Diving-bell and the Butterfly (Paperback)

by Jean-Dominique Bauby (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £3.77 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.22 (46%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
33 new from £0.77 31 used from £0.27 1 collectible from £18.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (Special Edition) £25.00 £16.25 22 used & new from £14.06
Paperback (New Ed) 27 used & new from £0.01
Audio Cassette (Audiobook) Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) by Oliver Sacks

The Diving-bell and the Butterfly + The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador)
Price For Both: £8.56

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly [DVD] [2007]

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Mathieu Amalric
4.1 out of 5 stars (29)  £4.98
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador)

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador)

by Oliver Sacks
4.1 out of 5 stars (28)  £4.79
Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea

by Greg Mortenson
4.8 out of 5 stars (108)  £6.99
The Book Thief

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak
4.5 out of 5 stars (447)  £3.99
Random Acts of Heroic Love

Random Acts of Heroic Love

by Danny Scheinmann
3.8 out of 5 stars (103)  £5.59
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: HarperPerennial; Film tie-in ed edition (7 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007139845
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007139842
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 1.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 910 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Living with Disabilities
    #1 in  Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Health Issues > Illnesses & Conditions > Physical Impairments

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'Everyone in the country should own at least one copy.' Guardian 'The most extraordinary book of the year.' Daily Telegraph 'Read this book and fall back in love with life.' Edmund White 'The most remarkable memoir of our time.' Cynthia Ozick 'Life-enhancing and devastating in equal measure -- everyone should read it' Gloss magazine

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(3)
(1)
(1)
See all 6 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Diving-bell and the Butterfly
82% buy the item featured on this page:
The Diving-bell and the Butterfly 4.6 out of 5 stars (55)
£3.77
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly [DVD] [2007]
10% buy
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly [DVD] [2007] 4.1 out of 5 stars (29)
£4.98
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador)
4% buy
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Picador) 4.1 out of 5 stars (28)
£4.79
Tell No-One (Ne Le Dis A Personne) [DVD] [2006]
2% buy
Tell No-One (Ne Le Dis A Personne) [DVD] [2006] 4.0 out of 5 stars (58)
£2.98
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

55 Reviews
5 star:
 (42)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (55 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If This Book Doesn't Make You Sit Back & Think, I Don't Know What Will, 6 Jan 2008
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable insight and a very moving book, 21 Nov 2006
By Eleanor Fitzsimons (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wondeful, captivating, harrowing yet joyful read., 3 Jul 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Diving-bell and the Butterfly (Paperback)
Words have trouble expressing how deeply moving Bauby's work is, especially when one knows he finally succumbed to the locked-in syndrome shortly after completing the book. His disability held him captive yet somehow gave his mind the freedom to wander through uncharted depths of human thinking, guiding the reader through his sorrows, joys, appreciations of the small pleasures of life, and his frustration both with the way people perceived him and his inability to walk amongst them. It is a little book of incredible power which I recommend to anyone becoming disillusioned with their lives.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have only one book to read this year
If you have only one book to read this year, this one won't let you down.
Equisite prose, to make you wake up and realise what life is about. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Chianti

5.0 out of 5 stars great read
I would recommend this book to everybody especially to people who deal with strokes. It gave me a greater understanding of the patient and that communication is possible no matter... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jack Flash

5.0 out of 5 stars You HAVE to read this book!!!!!
This book is such a beautifully written,humourous, sad, interesting, thought-provoking world of someone imprisoned in their body. Ironically - a real eye-opener.. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Amy Ilett

5.0 out of 5 stars Locked-In His World
At just over one hundred pages long this book may not seem remarkable on the surface but when one considers that its author can only communicate through the blinking of one eye,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Gannon

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Read
Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief at Elle Magazine until he suddenly became a victim of Locked-In Syndrome. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Simon Savidge "savidgeread...

3.0 out of 5 stars Thought there would be more...
Though I'm amazed at the dedication and effort it must have taken to write this book I'm almost ashamed to admit how little impact this book had on me. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ibrahim Ali

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and unique read
The enthusiasm for life that Jean-Dominique Bauby demonstrated in the whole book was amazing. And it was not for a matter of faiths or beliefs, but for a simple and pure love of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Serena Seghedoni

5.0 out of 5 stars Fall in love with every day life again
This is possibly the worst situation anyone could ever be in yet, Bauby tried his hardest to remain positive and showed heroic humour throughout the entire book. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Kasey J

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Short enough to read in one sitting, this book is well worth the read. It describes the vivid thoughts of a man struck down by a debilitating stroke at the peak of his career... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Andrew P. Logie

5.0 out of 5 stars Lasting impression
"Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" is a fantastic read full stop. I understand other's thoughts on this book and I respect their opinions, but for me, this book has had a lasting... Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. Forrest

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (460)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates