The Diving Bell and the Butterfly — A Rather Extensive Book Review

Jean-Dominique Bauby during his state of “locked-in” syndrome

Cece Yang '29

Before his stroke, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor of a famous French magazine called Elle. However, after a life-altering paralyzation, he became immobilized— trapped in a physical condition known as “Locked-In Syndrome”. Through subtle movements of his left eye, Bauby “typed” out his first novel; a vivid, enrapturing piece of work that was later dubbed one of the finest books of the century. This novel portrays to us the astounding story of Bauby’s internal consciousness during his locked-in state. By utilizing a system where a nursemaid pointed to letters in a special order, he would blink to choose each letter that he would incorporate into his storytelling progress.. It was a tedious way to write, but he did it nonetheless after several years of isolation. Furthermore, his unique method of weaving stories shapes the book itself; It blends vivid memories, lucid daydreams, or astute observation into numerous short chapters, crafting pages through an almost autobiography-like style. Looking extensively into the fabrications of the novel, its title explains Bauby’s two states of being; The "diving bell" is his paralyzed physical figure—a heavy, trapped force, weighing him down like the nature of gravity. The "butterfly", however, is his ever-flourishing mind and imagination, which retain their freedom through his grueling years. This novel highlights this contrast by allowing Bauby himself to describe the frustrating and sometimes humorous details of being in a hospital, surrounded by others of his pathetic kind. His thoughts sometimes migrate to a leisurely beach or a workplace, reliving the memories that he developed throughout his lifetime and replaying them in a reminiscent way. Furthermore, the portrayal of Bauby’s wife, Florence Ben Sadoun, is relatively prominent in his novel as well; The flow of Bauby’s language implies the romantic tension between the two, expressing their relationship as somewhat complex yet intimate. Additionally, Bauby’s style of writing is direct and often surprisingly lightweight, even when addressing difficult things related to his personal life. There is no self-pity in his words. Instead, there are fractions of honesty, sometimes dark humor to alleviate some stress about his tossed-away past. Bauby creates stories about his visitors, his children, and his regrets without softening the tough parts of the experience. This alone allows the novel to be portrayed as genuine and enthralling, demonstrating how Bauby was a man of pragmatism; not only in terms of his writing, but through his familial relationships and day-to-day experiences as well.

To conclude, the Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a groundbreaking novel throughout the history of literature. It was created from a master editor and written in such meticulous detail that it fully embodied both abstract and factual fabrications, enveloping both of Bauby’s world.