'Locked in' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

"My diving bell becomes less oppressive, and my mind takes flight like a butterfly. There is so much to do. You can wander off in space or in time, set out for Tierra del Fuego or for King Midas's court."

What were your overall thoughts and impressions of the book? Was it what you expected, or different? If different, in what ways? Or if the same, what exactly was it that you were expecting?

New pick

"The Aspern Papers" by Henry James

Set in a brilliantly described Venice, James's 1888 novella portrays an editor's obsession with acquiring the private papers of a dead poet from the man's lover.

Next pick

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death" by Jean-Dominique Bauby

John Henry West

Not to be blunt, but why do you think the author killed off John Henry West?

The soldier

I had such a bad feeling about F. Jasmine's "date" with the soldier. It was such a creepy build-up, but so well done. I thought it perfectly captured that divide between the child's world and the adult's world, where a naive, trusting, romantic kid has no idea of what dangers are lurking for her. Were you surprised that the encounter ended like it did?

The trio

What did you think of the family dynamics in this novella? The mother died giving birth to Frankie, and the father is hardly present. The family unit is really Frankie, Berenice Sadie Brown and 6-year-old John Henry — a powerful trio!

I loved Berenice. I thought her character was really the soul of the novel, and part of her appeal for me was how she related to the children,taking care of them and telling them stories and giving advice as if they were all the same age. Do you think the author saw her as essentially childlike or as an especially wise adult?

Frankie

What did you think of this as a coming-of-age story? Did you find the turbulence in Frankie's (or F. Jasmine's) life compellingly realistic, and what did you think of the resolution (the Frankie after the storm)?