The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Published by Vintage Books
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Reviewed by Andrea Stuckey
(First international version published July 1998, and now translated from French to English by Jeremy Leggatt.)
Some people select Billy Graham as the most inspirationally motivational Christian in history, or John Gardner in the economical world, for overcoming so much in his life to become a successful business man. If there is one person in history to model the saying “You can do anything if you put your mind to it,” especially when unable to physically move a single limb, Jean-Dominique Bauby was that man.
Plagued by a stroke in his mid forties, the extremely successful French “Elle” editor found himself literally trapped in his own body, unable to communicate with the outside world, except for a code his occupational therapist had remedied. The only problem was, Bauby had no control over any part of his body, except his left eye, which he used in blinking fashion to communicate with the “outside world.”
People and family he’d previously spoken with so easily were so far away from him, without this code, that every dream and waking moment flowed together. Bauby presents the reader with this emotion extremely well with the short chapters, styling each just a bit differently, depending on the emotions he was experiencing during each episode. There were humorous bits where Bauby paints a scene he experiences inside his head, a daydream of sorts, as well as darker pieces of reality, where his existence felt to him as more of a burden than anything.
If writing a lyrically beautiful memoir isn’t enough, the fact that Bauby literally wrote this book through his left eye leaves the reader absolutely stunned afterward. Bauby’s intuit into different characteristics people possess is incredible, and it will push the reader to remember there is a soul inside everyone, even if we cannot physically see it move.
Armchair Interviews says: A stunning memoir to move any reader.