The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
AuthorJean-Dominique Bauby
LanguageFrench
GenreAutobiography, Memoir
PublisherÉditions Robert Laffont
Publication date
March 6, 1997
Publication placeFrance
ISBN978-0-375-40115-2

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (original French title: Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) is a memoir by journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby. It describes his life before and after a massive stroke left him with locked-in syndrome.

The French edition of the book was published on March 7, 1997. It sold the first 25,000 copies on the day of publication, reaching 150,000 in a week. It went on to become a number one bestseller across Europe. Its total sales are now in the millions.