Library Loot ~ June 12-18

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death ~ by Jean-Dominique Bauby, 1997, memoir (France), 9/10

In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of the 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.

On 9 March 1997, three days after the book was published in France, Bauby died of pneumonia.  This book is a lasting testament to his life.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages us to share titles of books we’ve checked out of the library.  Add your link any time during the week, and see what others got this week.