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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly  By  cover art

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

By: Jean-Dominique Bauby
Narrated by: René Auberjonois
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Publisher's summary

In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young childen, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem. After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to make clear that his mind was unimpaired. Almost miraculously, he was soon able to express himself in the richest detail: dictating a word at a time, blinking to select each letter as the alphabet was recited to him slowly, over and over again. In the same way, he was able eventually to compose this extraordinary book.

By turns wistful, mischievous, angry, and witty, Bauby bears witness to his determination to live as fully in his mind as he had been able to do in his body. He explains the joy, and deep sadness, of seeing his children and of hearing his aged father's voice on the phone. In magical sequences, he imagines traveling to other places and times and of lying next to the woman he loves. Fed only intravenously, he imagines preparing and tasting the full flavor of delectable dishes. Again and again he returns to an "inexhaustible reservoir of sensations," keeping in touch with himself and the life around him.

Jean-Dominique Bauby died two days after the French publication of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

This book is a lasting testament to his life.

©1997 Jean-Dominique Bauby (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The book's tone, in Jeremy Leggatt's translation, is dominated by a sweet, even humorous, lyricism.” —The New York Times

“The real poignancy of these pieces is their ordinariness, [and their] moments of extraordinary sadness and beauty." —Publishers Weekly

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What listeners say about The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Short but well written

I've been meaning to read this book since it came out in the late 90's. I'm glad I finally got to it. What an interesting perspective on a condition that none of us could imagine enduring. I love reading books that can make us see out of the eyes of people for whom we would give no thought otherwise. (Thinking in Pictures and Middlesex come to mind.) Jean-Dominique Bauby tells of his loneliness and degradation of locked-in syndrome with grace and dreaminess. I am truly amazed at the effort it took to write this book. I wish he could have lived to see his story reach people.

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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A heart-wrenching and uplifting tale

This was a compelling book. At times quite sad and occasionally rather humorous, Bauby takes the reader on a journey through a life that is irrevocably changed in the space of seconds. This book challenged me to reassess the things I find important in my life and realize that every moment is precious and should be lived fully.

I thought Rene Auberjonois did a fantastic job narrating the story and achieved the perfect tone in communicating Bauby's struggle.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, tragic, funny, heartbreaking memoir.

I almost wanted to slow down the speed so it would last longer. I’ll have to listen again instead.

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2 people found this helpful

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Beautifully poetic and moving

Bauby writes with a beautiful lightness like poetry but never avoiding the truth of his situation. His ability to transcend his situation is very moving and inspiring.

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2 people found this helpful

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Loved this short, beautifully written and wonderfully narrated story.

The prose is beautiful and compelling. The story is powerful and the narration is excellent. It had me laughing one minute and crying the next.

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1 person found this helpful

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Touching real heartbreaking

An amazing inside story indeed, tugs at my heart.
Every healthcare provider should read this.

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A lesson in gratitude

Beautiful writing and a heartbreaking story. If you feel challenged by life you likely will be inspired.

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1 person found this helpful

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Good book

Interesting listen was hoping for me insight and less than just a story. Good book tho

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Spellbinding

Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir is a magnificent accomplishment! Working steadily in concert with his Speech Language assistant he painstakingly pulls off the impossible. Bauby’s weaves an imaginative, articulate, intimate, and at times very funny, story. I so appreciated the author’s personality, humor, knowledge, and humility. Although the story is an unspeakable personal tragedy, Bauby finds creative ways to process and articulate his life and condition without getting lost in self pity. This is ultimately an uplifting story, and a generous gift/legacy for his children.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Probably need to listen to again

I was confused through a lot of this book. To be fair, I was multitasking while listening. I may have missed an important plot twist that left me perplexed to what was going on. The narrator was great. Need to reevaluate once I figure out what I just listened to.

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