The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly cover art

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

By: Jean-Dominique Bauby
Narrated by: Richard Derrington
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $13.99

Buy Now for $13.99

About this listen

Whilst suffering from a condition whereby he was unable to speak and his only movement was the blinking of an eyelid, Jean-Dominique Bauby devised a code for each letter of the alphabet and dictated this book about his experiences and feelings. He died just after it was published. This moving, extraordinary book is read by Richard Derrington.

©1997 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)1997 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
All stars
Most relevant  
I’d need to listen to audibles like this every now and then to remind masked hours privileged I am and how motivated I should be in any circumstances.

A good reminder of how privileged we are

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This story is very interesting to listen to, I had to listen to it as apart of a university unit. For the length of it, its super easy to get through.

Short and Sweet

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly is one man’s recount of what his life with “locked-in syndrome” is like. Bauby’s choice of words paints a beautiful and raw picture of his experiences in vivid detail, made even more incredible through the adversity required to write it. Through its reading, you will develop a deeper gratitude and wonder for the life you have.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the human story, or enjoys a read about character development of strength through adversity.

Captured by Bauby’s eloquence of language throughout, I rate this book 4.5/5.

Eloquently written

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fabulous account of the experience of living with locked in syndrome, beautifully portrayed by an astounding author wrote by blinking out each letter of each word. A monumental effort!

Astounding

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beautifully written from an experience I'd rather not share. But then again, life doesn't always go to plan.

A journey worth exploring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed listening to this book immensely! He managed to deliver heartbreaking content with humour, and his storytelling had me hooked the entire way. I was hoping him to share some wisdom from going through such an epic tragedy but it was more reconstruction of events and feelings.

Spectacular insight into his mind

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Like many I was drawn to this book by the story behind it. A man dictating a book with the use of one eye …. Curious, puzzling, might be interesting. Well this may well be the most amazing book I’ve ever come across. As a 43 year old family man I am only a year younger than the author was when he was struck down by the stroke which left him locked in. The sense of gratitude which this book has evoked and the application of the tiny elements which make up my mundane yet blessed existence are more powerful than any emotions I can ever recall having after listening to a book. To say I would recommend you read this would be a gross under statement, I wish there was a sixth star to give.

Left me speechless.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great, clear narration. I listened to this in one sitting. Beautiful imagery and emotion. Love it.

Poetic and moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.