The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Read this beautiful book to fall in love with life again and understand the indomitable nature of the spirit, the pure self. As you read this short but gripping memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby, you go through a myriad of emotions along with the author but always come out feeling hopeful and with a sense of deep respect.

In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, aged 43, editor of the French magazine Elle, suffered a stroke that left him almost completely paralyzed in the locked-in syndrome. Despite his condition, Bauby dictated his memoir by blinking his left eyelid, letter by letter, to his transcriber. This 144-page book was published in 1997, just a few days before his unexpected demise.

Often touted as the most exceptional memoir, it is devoid of anything unnecessary. The title captures it all, the diving bell being the immobility that Bauby is subjected to while the butterfly is his mind, free, agile, and soaring above it all. The book shows no self-pity, but a deep sense of self-awareness and understanding, shown by someone who has spent immeasurable time with oneself. It is the triumph of consciousness, the self that cannot be killed, cannot be imprisoned by the physical form.