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A review by ninareadingbooks
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
3.0
There is no doubt that the writing was lovely and enjoyable to read. Each chapter acted as a stand alone passage alongside reflections of Bauby's day in the hospital. The memories are written vividly and some of his tales are quite humorous. The imagery was realistic and enticing, it made me want to take a summer holiday in France. I also had a few laugh out loud moments while reading. The book offers an intensive and highly reflective look at Jean-Dominique Bauby’s stay in the hospital with locked-in syndrome and the various staff caring for him. It is amazingly written by him and a speech therapist through a lengthy letter dictation process, making the book itself a truly remarkable and inspiring achievement.
The author was skillful in articulating the anxiety, fear, and sometimes terror of being unable to communicate with various hospital staff. In one instance, he talks of a “heartless oaf” who turned off the television one evening at the half-time of an important soccer match - any sports fan can relate to the frustration of this. The lack of sense of control paired with a long and boring stay in a hospital bed had me outraged on his behalf. In another example, he speaks of “an irrational terror” that if a doctor who is stitching one of his eyelids got carried away and stitched both, he would lose all access to the outside world. I felt these strong emotions while reading.
Apart from the pleasure of the writing itself, I had a difficult time understanding the value of the book or even the choices of which memories to include over others. There doesn't seem to be any common thread or defined storyline, just memories here and there. I was also uncertain of the chronology of the memories shared, though I could tell it didn’t matter.
It was difficult to decipher what messaging or purpose this book has as it lacked any book binding message. I made a note reading, does all of this equate a book? Then I read the reflection on the writing process which further validated my question, but also made me laugh.
“Claude is reading the pages we patiently extracted from the void every afternoon for the past two months. Some pages I am pleased to see again. Others are disappointing. Do they add up to a book?”
I do encourage you, if you read this book, to make sure to read the obituary at the end. This section ties together the creative value in the book having been written at all. For me, it felt essential to read this final piece because it showcased the extraordinary feat of this book in itself.
After reflecting on the book more, the messaging is strong - life is arbitrary! The idea that a life is made up of arbitrary and discretionary memories in the end; eating, drinking, friendships, lovers, and just enjoying. Nihilism is at the heart of this book, a theme I appreciated while reading. I think the story is meant to be appreciated for its stylistic traits of the French New Wave and in a very avant-garde way. This does give me closure on the book’s dismissal of a strong narrative. Unfortunately, this isn’t my literary preference so I wasn’t entirely sold on this book. It is hard for me to say whether I recommend it or not because my issues with the book are more related to my personal literary preferences; strong narratives and well-reflected messages. I do feel satisfied having read it and can see value in the existence of this book in having been written at all.
The author was skillful in articulating the anxiety, fear, and sometimes terror of being unable to communicate with various hospital staff. In one instance, he talks of a “heartless oaf” who turned off the television one evening at the half-time of an important soccer match - any sports fan can relate to the frustration of this. The lack of sense of control paired with a long and boring stay in a hospital bed had me outraged on his behalf. In another example, he speaks of “an irrational terror” that if a doctor who is stitching one of his eyelids got carried away and stitched both, he would lose all access to the outside world. I felt these strong emotions while reading.
Apart from the pleasure of the writing itself, I had a difficult time understanding the value of the book or even the choices of which memories to include over others. There doesn't seem to be any common thread or defined storyline, just memories here and there. I was also uncertain of the chronology of the memories shared, though I could tell it didn’t matter.
It was difficult to decipher what messaging or purpose this book has as it lacked any book binding message. I made a note reading, does all of this equate a book? Then I read the reflection on the writing process which further validated my question, but also made me laugh.
“Claude is reading the pages we patiently extracted from the void every afternoon for the past two months. Some pages I am pleased to see again. Others are disappointing. Do they add up to a book?”
I do encourage you, if you read this book, to make sure to read the obituary at the end. This section ties together the creative value in the book having been written at all. For me, it felt essential to read this final piece because it showcased the extraordinary feat of this book in itself.
After reflecting on the book more, the messaging is strong - life is arbitrary! The idea that a life is made up of arbitrary and discretionary memories in the end; eating, drinking, friendships, lovers, and just enjoying. Nihilism is at the heart of this book, a theme I appreciated while reading. I think the story is meant to be appreciated for its stylistic traits of the French New Wave and in a very avant-garde way. This does give me closure on the book’s dismissal of a strong narrative. Unfortunately, this isn’t my literary preference so I wasn’t entirely sold on this book. It is hard for me to say whether I recommend it or not because my issues with the book are more related to my personal literary preferences; strong narratives and well-reflected messages. I do feel satisfied having read it and can see value in the existence of this book in having been written at all.