The title refers to how he sees himself -- the paralysis of his body makes him feel that pressure is keeping him locked within a heavy diving bell, while his mind is as free and as light as a butterfly.
Bauby was the father of two young children and the editor-in-chief of French Elle magazine. He had traveled extensively and had many friends. After the stroke, his active and exciting life was no more. As a quadriplegic, Bauby had to be bathed, fed through a tube, and moved by nurses and attendants. He could not speak at all.
Bauby's mind provided him with the spiritual and emotional fuel to keep him from falling into despair. He did not become bitter, and he never lost his humor, imagination, or the wonderful memories that he cherished. He began to compose this book in his head, and through a
system in which blinks of an eye indicated letters of the alphabet, he "dictated" this book to his secretary.
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is funny, lyrical and sad. Bauby notes that since he could no longer eat in the normal way, he had to dine in his head. Since he could not speak to his 93-year old father, his father called him on the phone and spoke to him. When he was finally able to sit in a wheelchair, Bauby was taken to the beach where he admired the colorful umbrellas and the lively atmosphere. He was destined to live the remainder of his life one step removed from reality, but, in his mind, this was better than not living life at all.
Jean-Dominique Bauby lived to see his book published before he died in 1997. "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is a memoir of a remarkable man.
I'm just finishing this book now. A fast read, but very well written and truly amazing.