The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

I just finished reading this book called “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death” by Jean-Dominique Bauby. This was a really amazing book! The author, Bauby, had a massive stroke in 1995 when he was 43 years old. The stroke left him paralyzed from head to toe and a victim of “locked-in syndrome.” So basically, his brain was functioning perfectly normal, but he couldn’t move his body or speak with anyone around him. The only thing he could use to communicate was his left eye. His speech pathologist (maybe that’s why I liked this book!) came up with a system where she would read the alphabet aloud to him and he would blink when he heard the letter he wanted. They went through this process until she could figure out words and sentences he was trying to say… and that’s eventually how he wrote this book. I can’t even comprehend how much patience that would take on both of their parts. I also think it would be so easy for most people to think that he was just a vegetable and not try to help him, but this woman found a way for him to be able to express himself, despite his physical appearance. This book is a memoir of his life and his experiences in the hospital. The title is strange, but he explains that being trapped in his body is similar to a heavy diving bell covering his head; but he lets his imagination soar like a butterfly to pass the time. I would highly recommend this for you all to read! It is a very inspirational book and made me wonder if I would be as positive as he was if I was in the same situation. It’s a short read… only 132 pages. You could probably read it straight through in a few hours!

*Just so you know, there is also a movie made from this book, but I didn’t really like the it… the book is SO much better!