Alli’s #CBR4 Review #6: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
I read “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” by Jean-Dominique Bauby as it was listed as a recommendation at the end of “Girlfriend in a Coma“. It is a memoir of sorts written by the French editor of Elle magazine who suffers a stroke and then has a condition called “Locked in Syndrome”. He has some movement ability with his head and he is able to communicate using his left eye. In order to communicate people use a chart of letters ordered in frequency of their usage in the French language. He still does have his hearing, although sometimes certain sounds do bombard his hearing.The memoir itself is a series of vignettes going back and forth between his time in the hospital and his life before. He has a gift for the written word, and he seems to find beauty in his surroundings wherever he goes. He takes great joy in being wheeled up to a patio where he sees himself as a director, summoning clouds and birds.
I first read this book many years ago and have recently re-read it. It is heartwarming and a testament to the power of the human mind.