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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 362.19681 EAN: 9780307389251 ISBN: 0007790155 Label: Vintage Manufacturer: Vintage Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 144 Publication Date: November 20, 2007 Publisher: Vintage Release Date: November 20, 2007 Studio: Vintage Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com: We've all got our idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing--a special chair we have to sit in, a certain kind of yellow paper we absolutely must use. To create this tremendously affecting memoir, Jean-Dominique Bauby used the only tool available to him--his left eye--with which he blinked out its short chapters, letter by letter. Two years ago, Bauby, then the 43-year-old editor-in-chief of Elle France, suffered a rare stroke to the brain stem; only his left eye and brain escaped damage. Rather than accept his "locked in" situation as a kind of death, Bauby ignited a fire of the imagination under himself and lived his last days--he died two days after the French publication of this slim volume--spiritually unfettered. In these pages Bauby journeys to exotic places he has and has not been, serving himself delectable gourmet meals along the way (surprise: everything's ripe and nothing burns). In the simplest of terms he describes how it feels to see reflected in a window "the head of a man who seemed to have emerged from a vat of formaldehyde." Product Description: In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, the 43-year-old editor of French Elle, suffered a massive stroke that left him permanently paralyzed, a victim of “locked in syndrome.” Once known for his gregariousness and wit, Bauby now finds himself imprisoned in an inert body, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye. The miracle is that in doing so he was able to compose this stunningly eloquent memoir. In a voice that is by turns wistful and mischievous, angry and sardonic, Bauby gives us a celebration of the liberating power of consciousness: what it is like to spend a day with his children, to imagine lying in bed beside his wife, to conjure up the flavor of delectable meals even as he is fed through at tube. Most of all, this triumphant book lets us witness an indomitable spirit and share in the pure joy of its own survival. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - "bedridden travel notes"Jean-Dominique Bauby had it made, or so he thought. At age 43 he was the editor of Elle magazine, cynical, and a stranger to failure. Then he had a massive stroke that left him in a coma for three weeks. When he awoke, he suffered from a rare neurological disorder called "locked in syndrome." He could hear a little and his brain worked fine, but he was totally paralyzed and couldn't speak. He could blink with his left eye. With his one good eye Bauby dictated this remarkable memoir, letter by letter, ... Read More Rating:  - A Life Worth LivingJean-Dominique Bauby is a victim of 'Locked-In Syndrome." At the age of 43, he suffered a massive stroke that left him unable to move or speak. His only means of communication -- his left eyelid. Bauby spent weeks painstakingly dictating this memoir -- letter by letter. I read this book in one sitting, it was that captivating. Through short vignettes, Bauby manages to describe the minute intimacies of his life in astonishing detail. From his first experience in a wheelchair, to bath-time, ... Read More Rating: - Stunningly beautifulAbsolutely amazing. And a quick read, too, so you really have no excuse to miss it. SHUT UP. NO EXCUSE. Jeez, you can even borrow it from me, okay? Rating: - Excellent!This is a wonderful book. Very quick read. Makes you truly appreciate your own life. Highly recommended. Rating: - An inspiring life testament Bauby gives us a truly remarkable and inspirational story of his life trapped inside a body that no longer serves him. But his mind remains as sharp as ever. He transcends his immobility with grace and a remarkable gift of a rich, lucid imagination. He is free in his mind to enjoy all of life and it's lush sensory gifts and memories...to take flight as if a butterfly. A heartbreaking true story. 
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