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Sound: A Story of Hearing Lost and Found
In 1997, Bella Bathurst began to go deaf. Within a few months, she had lost half her hearing, and the rest was slipping away. She wasn't just missing punchlines, she was missing most of the conversation - and all of the jokes. For the next twelve years deafness shaped her life, until, in 2009, everything changed again.
Sound draws on this extraordinary experience, exploring what it is like to lose your hearing and - as Bella eventually did - to get it back, and what that teaches you about listening and silence, music and noise. She investigates the science behind deafness, hearing loss among musicians, soldiers and factory workers, sign language, and what the deaf know about these subjects that the hearing don't.
If sight gives us the world, then hearing - or our ability to listen - gives us each other. But, as this engaging and intelligent examination reveals, our relationship with sound is both personal and far, far more complex than we might expect.
Sound draws on this extraordinary experience, exploring what it is like to lose your hearing and - as Bella eventually did - to get it back, and what that teaches you about listening and silence, music and noise. She investigates the science behind deafness, hearing loss among musicians, soldiers and factory workers, sign language, and what the deaf know about these subjects that the hearing don't.
If sight gives us the world, then hearing - or our ability to listen - gives us each other. But, as this engaging and intelligent examination reveals, our relationship with sound is both personal and far, far more complex than we might expect.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2017
26 people are currently reading
443 people want to read
About the author
Bella Bathurst
14 books32 followersBella Bathurst is a fiction and non-fiction writer, and photographer, born in London and living in Scotland. Her journalism has appeared in a variety of major publications, including the Washington Post and the Sunday Times.
Her first published book was The Lighthouse Stevensons (1999), an account of the construction of the Scottish lighthouses by the ancestors of Robert Louis Stevenson, and named one of the List Magazine's '100 Best Scottish Books of all time'.
Her first published book was The Lighthouse Stevensons (1999), an account of the construction of the Scottish lighthouses by the ancestors of Robert Louis Stevenson, and named one of the List Magazine's '100 Best Scottish Books of all time'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
April 13, 2018
There's not a lot to say about this book. The author started to lose her hearing in her 20s but never went completely deaf. A decade on, she got the correct diagnosis for her problem and a couple of operations later, she threw away her hearing aids and wrote this book.
It was one of those books that relies on a lot of research into the subject used as padding for the personal story being told. If the facts related are new or presented in an interesting way, then good, but here there was nothing new and the author's experience added no revelation, no 'ah, so that's what it's really like' moment.
Nice writing is the best thing about the book.
It was one of those books that relies on a lot of research into the subject used as padding for the personal story being told. If the facts related are new or presented in an interesting way, then good, but here there was nothing new and the author's experience added no revelation, no 'ah, so that's what it's really like' moment.
Nice writing is the best thing about the book.
August 25, 2019
For anyone who is struggling with hearing loss or for a partner of someone losing their hearing, this book is a revelation and a literal eye-opener. My husband is gradually going deaf and I devoured this book. It is rare to read something that speaks so eloquently on a topic that is both boring in its ubiquity and painful in its specifics. Bathurst is a fine writer and in this book she describes her unique experience of losing and then regaining her hearing with artistic precision. For the vast majority of deafened people, there is no chance of regaining sound, and as a person entering the deafened world it would have been easy to react to this memoir with anger or resentment at the author's rare good fortune. But she has done such a splendid job of taking us on her journey from the world where silence and loss are the dominating experiences to an appreciation for the human ability to listen with our other senses and to really see the world around us that this book becomes a guide and a gift. Thank you, Bella.
March 11, 2018
I found this non-fiction book absolutely fascinating. Not only does it describe the author's experience of loosing her hearing, in her 20s, but gives a lot of other interesting facts regarding hearing - like did you know birds, unlike us, can regrow the hairs deep within their ears, so they never go deaf! Otherwise they would be unable to attract a mate, or hear an approaching predator, and the species could die out!
September 2, 2017
This is a memoir of a young woman who for more than a decade suffered significant hearing loss. Luckily, the medical professionals who watched over her condition were smart enough to question their initial diagnosis. This led to unexpected opportunities for surgical intervention and a subsequent regain of the author's capacity to hear.
The book is a rather loosely structured collection of stories that waver between the novelistic and the journalistic. Its key theme is the psychological burden that is associated with the condition of being ‘deafened’. A prelingual Deaf person is born unable to hear anything below a threshold of, say, 70dB. These people form a close-knit community that communicate in sign. There is a much larger group of deafened: people who lost the ability to hear due to traumatic life events, aging, or other physiological developments. They realize what they are missing. As a rule they are very slow to acknowledge their problems and hesitant to be open about it to their social environment. As these people are constantly interfacing with 'the normal world’ they have to continue to rely on default means for communication, eventually supported by increasingly sophisticated hearing aids. Still, they lack the sustenance of a community of soul mates with whom they can interact in their own language. As a result it is no surprise that deafness is very often associated with mental health problems.
In ‘Sound’ Bella Bathurst recounts her own long and difficult process of coming to terms with hearing loss. The story is often very well written. Almost paradoxically, Bathurst’s prose is at its most penetrating when it deals with acoustic phenomena. Here is a short section from the introductory chapter in which she describes a tense sailing trip off the Scottish coast: “Through the fibre of the hull I can feel the sounds of the boat itself - the slap of the halyards, the deeper, more descriptive sound of the wind against the boom, the sailcloth tightening or loosening depending on our speed and direction. And under it all the susurration of the sea itself. The shush it makes as it glides along the hull, fast or slow, urgent or gentle, its mesmerizing gentleness …” There are many more felicitous passages that celebrate the abundance of the acoustic world. However, there are chapters, particularly those in a more journalistic vein, filled with interviews and conversations, that felt less involving.
The finale with its surgical 'deus ex machina’ brings the whole narrative to a rather abrupt end. There is a short but moving final chapter in which the author describes the overwhelming experience, soon after she regained her hearing, of going into a concert with a top flight symphony orchestra: “… I sat there, sound-blasted, while a few bars of Schubert changed everything. The music poured in, a great shining river, pounding like a waterfall over every atom in every corner of my being. And as it swept through I could feel, genuinely feel, neurons and synapses sunk for years into darkness snap back into life. (…) Science had given me back my hearing, and now music had returned me to life. It blew everything, transcended everything.” And the paean goes on, to end with the blissful confession: “Music is as powerful as it gets. It is love, made liquid.” It is a moving testimonial that transported me back to my own deep discovery of music through a snippet of Berlioz that serendipitously flitted across my path. Ever since I have been seeking to recapture the intensity of that experience. Anyway, grateful to Bella Bathurst for putting that highlight into relief.
On the whole the book feels too uneven to give it full four stars but I'm more than happy to settle on 3,5.
The book is a rather loosely structured collection of stories that waver between the novelistic and the journalistic. Its key theme is the psychological burden that is associated with the condition of being ‘deafened’. A prelingual Deaf person is born unable to hear anything below a threshold of, say, 70dB. These people form a close-knit community that communicate in sign. There is a much larger group of deafened: people who lost the ability to hear due to traumatic life events, aging, or other physiological developments. They realize what they are missing. As a rule they are very slow to acknowledge their problems and hesitant to be open about it to their social environment. As these people are constantly interfacing with 'the normal world’ they have to continue to rely on default means for communication, eventually supported by increasingly sophisticated hearing aids. Still, they lack the sustenance of a community of soul mates with whom they can interact in their own language. As a result it is no surprise that deafness is very often associated with mental health problems.
In ‘Sound’ Bella Bathurst recounts her own long and difficult process of coming to terms with hearing loss. The story is often very well written. Almost paradoxically, Bathurst’s prose is at its most penetrating when it deals with acoustic phenomena. Here is a short section from the introductory chapter in which she describes a tense sailing trip off the Scottish coast: “Through the fibre of the hull I can feel the sounds of the boat itself - the slap of the halyards, the deeper, more descriptive sound of the wind against the boom, the sailcloth tightening or loosening depending on our speed and direction. And under it all the susurration of the sea itself. The shush it makes as it glides along the hull, fast or slow, urgent or gentle, its mesmerizing gentleness …” There are many more felicitous passages that celebrate the abundance of the acoustic world. However, there are chapters, particularly those in a more journalistic vein, filled with interviews and conversations, that felt less involving.
The finale with its surgical 'deus ex machina’ brings the whole narrative to a rather abrupt end. There is a short but moving final chapter in which the author describes the overwhelming experience, soon after she regained her hearing, of going into a concert with a top flight symphony orchestra: “… I sat there, sound-blasted, while a few bars of Schubert changed everything. The music poured in, a great shining river, pounding like a waterfall over every atom in every corner of my being. And as it swept through I could feel, genuinely feel, neurons and synapses sunk for years into darkness snap back into life. (…) Science had given me back my hearing, and now music had returned me to life. It blew everything, transcended everything.” And the paean goes on, to end with the blissful confession: “Music is as powerful as it gets. It is love, made liquid.” It is a moving testimonial that transported me back to my own deep discovery of music through a snippet of Berlioz that serendipitously flitted across my path. Ever since I have been seeking to recapture the intensity of that experience. Anyway, grateful to Bella Bathurst for putting that highlight into relief.
On the whole the book feels too uneven to give it full four stars but I'm more than happy to settle on 3,5.
September 23, 2023
This book is nothing short of ableist. Whether the author intended for it to be or not (I doubt that was their intention), it is.
This review is coming from someone who is Deaf, and therefore I may be biased, however I think that bias is allowing me to see something that a lot of other reviews have not mentioned. That is not to say my review is "better" but I think there is a conversation around books and memoirs like this that need to be opened up.
I completely empathize with the author is their portrayal of the process of going deaf later in life as something scary and not desirable. I absolutely understand that, it is a huge adjustment, society is not built for the Deaf, and there are so many obstacles that come as a result of living with hearing loss in a world designed for those that can hear.
Whilst I personally would never make the choice to regain my hearing if possible, I also respect that Bathurst chose to when given the opportunity, and absolutely understand her joy in regaining it. However, what I do not appreciate about the way this book is written is how the moments of her life that are in the hearing world, particularly when she regains it, are written with beautiful, emotional, heart-felt language, while the middle section in which she has hearing loss is nothing but cold, hard clinical facts and research. Again, I understand the perspective of seeing hearing loss later in life as difficult and challenging, and that is valid. But to reflect on that period, especially the deaf community who still live that reality every single day, and make Deafness seem like this completely harrowing, horrid experience is not okay.
Many of the Deaf, myself included, are proud to be Deaf, and would not reverse it. Bathurst pays this no attention. To write so closely about the experiences of Deaf people she met, yet chose to make their experience seem soul crushing and a life full of turmoil pushes the narrative that Deaf = bad, Hearing = good. Yes, being Deaf has its challenges and horrid moments sometimes, but there is also so much joy and happiness within that community, culture and lifestyle, but Bathurst glosses over these things in favour of bombarding us with statistics and objective scientific explanations. Only when her hearing is restored does she pour emotion and gratitude into the page.
She paints those 12 years with hearing loss as the darkest moments of her life, which I do understand, again it's a huge adjustment. But to suggest there was no beauty in it? No lessons learnt other than hearing is the key to understanding each other? Bathurst makes a claim at one point that the Deaf prefer spoken language to sign as they can communicate better. Okay maybe some do, but the vast majority will always pick BSL. Always. And Bathurst does not mention this other side of it; they only mention the side that helps push the idea that Deafness will cut you off from people, and hearing is the only way to foster true connections.
This book just made me angry, to be frank. Yes, I completely empathize with their situation, and I do get it. However after being a part of the deaf world for 12 years, and meeting so many of us as she discusses in the book, a little recognition for the beauty of being Deaf and our own culture and means of communicating would have been nice. You don't have to want to be a part of our world, that's valid, but don't paint it as our world being uninviting - it's the hearing world that has been uninviting to the Deaf for years.
This review is coming from someone who is Deaf, and therefore I may be biased, however I think that bias is allowing me to see something that a lot of other reviews have not mentioned. That is not to say my review is "better" but I think there is a conversation around books and memoirs like this that need to be opened up.
I completely empathize with the author is their portrayal of the process of going deaf later in life as something scary and not desirable. I absolutely understand that, it is a huge adjustment, society is not built for the Deaf, and there are so many obstacles that come as a result of living with hearing loss in a world designed for those that can hear.
Whilst I personally would never make the choice to regain my hearing if possible, I also respect that Bathurst chose to when given the opportunity, and absolutely understand her joy in regaining it. However, what I do not appreciate about the way this book is written is how the moments of her life that are in the hearing world, particularly when she regains it, are written with beautiful, emotional, heart-felt language, while the middle section in which she has hearing loss is nothing but cold, hard clinical facts and research. Again, I understand the perspective of seeing hearing loss later in life as difficult and challenging, and that is valid. But to reflect on that period, especially the deaf community who still live that reality every single day, and make Deafness seem like this completely harrowing, horrid experience is not okay.
Many of the Deaf, myself included, are proud to be Deaf, and would not reverse it. Bathurst pays this no attention. To write so closely about the experiences of Deaf people she met, yet chose to make their experience seem soul crushing and a life full of turmoil pushes the narrative that Deaf = bad, Hearing = good. Yes, being Deaf has its challenges and horrid moments sometimes, but there is also so much joy and happiness within that community, culture and lifestyle, but Bathurst glosses over these things in favour of bombarding us with statistics and objective scientific explanations. Only when her hearing is restored does she pour emotion and gratitude into the page.
She paints those 12 years with hearing loss as the darkest moments of her life, which I do understand, again it's a huge adjustment. But to suggest there was no beauty in it? No lessons learnt other than hearing is the key to understanding each other? Bathurst makes a claim at one point that the Deaf prefer spoken language to sign as they can communicate better. Okay maybe some do, but the vast majority will always pick BSL. Always. And Bathurst does not mention this other side of it; they only mention the side that helps push the idea that Deafness will cut you off from people, and hearing is the only way to foster true connections.
This book just made me angry, to be frank. Yes, I completely empathize with their situation, and I do get it. However after being a part of the deaf world for 12 years, and meeting so many of us as she discusses in the book, a little recognition for the beauty of being Deaf and our own culture and means of communicating would have been nice. You don't have to want to be a part of our world, that's valid, but don't paint it as our world being uninviting - it's the hearing world that has been uninviting to the Deaf for years.
May 26, 2017
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the week:
In 1997, Bella Bathurst began to go deaf at the age of 28. Within a few months, she had lost half her hearing, and the rest was slipping away. She wasn't just missing punchlines, she was missing most of the conversation - and all of the jokes. For the next twelve years deafness shaped her life.
Sound draws on this experience, exploring the practical and emotional impact of losing your hearing, and what it teaches you about listening and silence, music and noise.
Today, Bella embarks on a sailing trip with friends. She doesn't want to admit her hearing is getting worse, but out at sea even more sound gets lost. As the weather worsens and Bella mishears instructions from the captain, has she put the whole boat in danger?
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Abridged by Jo Coombs
Produced by Hannah Marshall.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08r1lj8
In 1997, Bella Bathurst began to go deaf at the age of 28. Within a few months, she had lost half her hearing, and the rest was slipping away. She wasn't just missing punchlines, she was missing most of the conversation - and all of the jokes. For the next twelve years deafness shaped her life.
Sound draws on this experience, exploring the practical and emotional impact of losing your hearing, and what it teaches you about listening and silence, music and noise.
Today, Bella embarks on a sailing trip with friends. She doesn't want to admit her hearing is getting worse, but out at sea even more sound gets lost. As the weather worsens and Bella mishears instructions from the captain, has she put the whole boat in danger?
Read by Adjoa Andoh
Abridged by Jo Coombs
Produced by Hannah Marshall.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08r1lj8
October 10, 2021
I feel bad reviewing a book so harshly when someone is describing a disability or illness, but f**k me this was boring!!
My mum is deaf so I have an interest in hearing loss. That interest quickly waned a few pages into this sad offering.
The first chapter was so dry and annoying. Why go on a sailing boat, in choppy water, where you need your wits about you, when you can't hear a bloody thing?!! Oh, to delay acknowledging your problem and pretend everything is normal, riiiiiiiight.
The writing here was monotonous, tedious and unimaginative. I couldn't get invested in Bella's story at all, as bad as that comes across.
I would say give this a miss, unless you're looking for the literary equivalent of a sleeping tablet!
My mum is deaf so I have an interest in hearing loss. That interest quickly waned a few pages into this sad offering.
The first chapter was so dry and annoying. Why go on a sailing boat, in choppy water, where you need your wits about you, when you can't hear a bloody thing?!! Oh, to delay acknowledging your problem and pretend everything is normal, riiiiiiiight.
The writing here was monotonous, tedious and unimaginative. I couldn't get invested in Bella's story at all, as bad as that comes across.
I would say give this a miss, unless you're looking for the literary equivalent of a sleeping tablet!
January 27, 2019
I expected so much more from this book being deafened myself over 30 years ago. There were a few interesting spots but on the whole this book was extremely boring and I found myself skipping pages and forcing myself to finish it.
December 3, 2018
Bella Bathurst's memoir about her experience of becoming deaf, and her journalist approach to this situation is fascinating. She did many interview with people who were educated in acoustics, people who had lost some hearing, took a class in British sign language and talked with musicians.
I have friend who is deaf and the author hits the target of the biggest problems that people with deafness have: the feeling of being left out. My friend conveyed this to me often. If you are deaf at birth, you do not mourn the loss because you have never been able to hear in the first place but it is very different if you become deaf later in life.
The author researched Beethoven's experience and it was extremely embarrassing and traumatic for him. It was very hard to read about his trying to hide it and his desperation to hear. There are studies of people who have lost their hearing locksmiths who were not bothered that much by it because hearing was not necessary to their job.
I enjoyed this informative and fast read svery much and highly recommend it to everyone interested in hearing loss.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
I have friend who is deaf and the author hits the target of the biggest problems that people with deafness have: the feeling of being left out. My friend conveyed this to me often. If you are deaf at birth, you do not mourn the loss because you have never been able to hear in the first place but it is very different if you become deaf later in life.
The author researched Beethoven's experience and it was extremely embarrassing and traumatic for him. It was very hard to read about his trying to hide it and his desperation to hear. There are studies of people who have lost their hearing locksmiths who were not bothered that much by it because hearing was not necessary to their job.
I enjoyed this informative and fast read svery much and highly recommend it to everyone interested in hearing loss.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
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May 6, 2024I feel so conflicted - the author is describing their own experience and emotional state faced with a diagnosis that she is and will continue to lose her hearing, however some of the language used towards deafness and the D/deaf communities felt very alienating. That combined with her eventual return to the hearing world (through a series of very lucky occurrences which she acknowledges the luckiness of) makes the book feel disingenuous. And yet, she is being very honest and recognising certain elements as things she could have acted on sooner or reacted to differently, such as not telling her friends that she was losing her hearing, thus making her life far harder. I’m glad I’ve read it, but I don’t think I could give it a straightforward review or recommendation to anyone.
August 2, 2022
This was a very unsettling account to read - mostly because, as with the author, I'm going through my own journey of hearing loss, so her account rings true for me. While my amount of loss is, so far, not quite what hers was, nontheless, the loss and most of what followed is quite familiar.
June 15, 2022
Outlook changing dip into the ocean of European deaf/hearing loss community and experience.
A life story that gives a sense that is taken for granted a new dimension.
A life story that gives a sense that is taken for granted a new dimension.
July 8, 2017
A brilliantly written, fascinating book. I love Bella Bathurst's writing; she tackles sound and hearing in a way that is accessible and page-turningly readable. She weaves her own story of losing and regaining her hearing among the stories of others, and makes you more aware of your own world at the same time. Recommended for anyone.
November 3, 2020
A deeply felt memoir of losing and regaining one’s hearing that also weaves in illuminating insights on the nature of sound. A great read for anyone dealing with hearing loss. Just know that the procedure that reclaimed the author’s hearing is far from foolproof ... I had similar surgery and gained nothing.
September 30, 2018
In the first chapter of her fascinating memoir, "Sound," Bella Bathurst recounts her irresponsible offer to help skipper a sailboat, even though her lack of hearing endangered her mates: "I shouldn't have come on this trip…. I am angry with myself for being incompetent and I am angry with my ears for being unable to hear." "By 2004," she tells us, "I'd been losing my hearing for six years," and was "down to about 30 per cent of normal hearing." When she was twenty-seven, Bathurst visited the audiology department of St. Mary's Hospital in London. Her doctor told her that two incidents of head trauma, one while skiing in 1990 (she was twenty), and the other as a result a car accident in 1997, had damaged the fine hair cells or cilia in her cochlea, and that nothing could be done to reverse this. After she was fitted with hearing aides in 1999, she resigned herself to making the best of a difficult situation. In 2001, she received a set of digital aides that cost six thousand pounds, a big step up from her old analogue ones that could not be as finely tuned.
Bathurst, in clear, lively, and accessible prose, enlightens us about the complex anatomy of the ear, different types of hearing loss, the role that the brain plays in hearing, acoustics, deaf culture, and the ways in which men and women who are "deafened" (have partial hearing loss) as opposed to "deaf" (profound hearing loss), cope every day. Besides signing, lip-reading can help, provided the person to whom you are speaking is facing you and enunciating properly. One problem is that, unless the hearing-impaired use sign language or wear visible devices near their ears, those around them may not know that anything is amiss. As a result, the hearing-impaired frequently struggle to keep up with conversations. They may avoid social gatherings, function less effectively on the job, and in the case of the elderly, become increasingly isolated. Only when patients are diagnosed by a competent otolaryngologist and are subsequently seen by a skilled audiologist can they address the question of what, if anything, can be done.
Bathurst is a determined and ambitious woman who carried on as well as she could but, in spite of her spunky attitude ("I wasn't going to go quietly, and I had absolutely no intention of being even slightly well adjusted about it"), still suffered from occasional depression. Besides telling her story in intimate detail, the author interviews experts in the field as well as individuals who have lost their hearing after toiling in a noisy shipyard, serving in the military, or playing in bands or orchestras. One takeaway from "Sound" is that our environment has become too noisy for comfort, and many of us foolishly take this sense for granted. On the other hand, over time, Bella discovered "that deafness had its compensations and that there were ways of interpreting the world which had nothing to do with hearing." "Sound" is an engrossing, illuminating, and moving work of non-fiction about a topic that significantly affects our physical and emotional well-being.
Bathurst, in clear, lively, and accessible prose, enlightens us about the complex anatomy of the ear, different types of hearing loss, the role that the brain plays in hearing, acoustics, deaf culture, and the ways in which men and women who are "deafened" (have partial hearing loss) as opposed to "deaf" (profound hearing loss), cope every day. Besides signing, lip-reading can help, provided the person to whom you are speaking is facing you and enunciating properly. One problem is that, unless the hearing-impaired use sign language or wear visible devices near their ears, those around them may not know that anything is amiss. As a result, the hearing-impaired frequently struggle to keep up with conversations. They may avoid social gatherings, function less effectively on the job, and in the case of the elderly, become increasingly isolated. Only when patients are diagnosed by a competent otolaryngologist and are subsequently seen by a skilled audiologist can they address the question of what, if anything, can be done.
Bathurst is a determined and ambitious woman who carried on as well as she could but, in spite of her spunky attitude ("I wasn't going to go quietly, and I had absolutely no intention of being even slightly well adjusted about it"), still suffered from occasional depression. Besides telling her story in intimate detail, the author interviews experts in the field as well as individuals who have lost their hearing after toiling in a noisy shipyard, serving in the military, or playing in bands or orchestras. One takeaway from "Sound" is that our environment has become too noisy for comfort, and many of us foolishly take this sense for granted. On the other hand, over time, Bella discovered "that deafness had its compensations and that there were ways of interpreting the world which had nothing to do with hearing." "Sound" is an engrossing, illuminating, and moving work of non-fiction about a topic that significantly affects our physical and emotional well-being.
December 2, 2018
Even though this book had already been published I received an ARC [Advanced Reader’s Copy] print copy of this book from the publisher through an Early Reader giveaway they had on LibraryThing, and the following is my honest opinion.
While the song “Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel might exalt silence, with such lyrics as ‘The people are talking, without speaking’ referring to all those politicians and their rhetoric causing people to go deaf by not listening to what they’re saying; real deafness is a far greater devastating thing which only a deaf person can understand. Actual silence caused by deafness is an entirely different ballgame, a ballgame which can only be experienced by individuals who are deaf.
What the author, Bella Bathurst, has done here in her poignant and revealing memoir is to share with her readers astonishing factual journey of how she became deaf and how she miraculously regained the gift of hearing twelve years later and the life-changing experiences she’s learned from it.
In the pages of this book Ms. Bathurst gives her readers intriguing understandings regarding the science of sound, which she gained from professionals from different fields. However, not wanting to give any of her readers a one-sided personal experience of deafness, she includes the experiences of other deaf individuals to give a sensitive provocative look at what sound means to hearing individuals like us.
While we can visually see people around us, there’s no way we can possibly connect with them except through speaking and being able to hear what they’re saying.
For giving her readers, as well as myself, a multi-faceted honest investigation of deafness and how extremely important our association with sound is, I’ve given Ms. Bathurst the 5 STARS she’s garnered from this reviewer.
While the song “Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel might exalt silence, with such lyrics as ‘The people are talking, without speaking’ referring to all those politicians and their rhetoric causing people to go deaf by not listening to what they’re saying; real deafness is a far greater devastating thing which only a deaf person can understand. Actual silence caused by deafness is an entirely different ballgame, a ballgame which can only be experienced by individuals who are deaf.
What the author, Bella Bathurst, has done here in her poignant and revealing memoir is to share with her readers astonishing factual journey of how she became deaf and how she miraculously regained the gift of hearing twelve years later and the life-changing experiences she’s learned from it.
In the pages of this book Ms. Bathurst gives her readers intriguing understandings regarding the science of sound, which she gained from professionals from different fields. However, not wanting to give any of her readers a one-sided personal experience of deafness, she includes the experiences of other deaf individuals to give a sensitive provocative look at what sound means to hearing individuals like us.
While we can visually see people around us, there’s no way we can possibly connect with them except through speaking and being able to hear what they’re saying.
For giving her readers, as well as myself, a multi-faceted honest investigation of deafness and how extremely important our association with sound is, I’ve given Ms. Bathurst the 5 STARS she’s garnered from this reviewer.
May 30, 2021
Today’s review: ‘Sound’ by Bella Bathurst a book about a woman’s hearing loss and her ‘journey’. The book has piqued my interest having seen the incredible ‘Sound of metal’ and I thought this memoir would be more of the same......nope!
The ‘memoir’ part is a small part but the majority of the book is a study on hearing loss taking the reader from the Glasgow dockyards to the armed forces, which would be interesting in another writer’s hands.....this, however reads like Matt Hancock’s voice has been mashed with Keir Starmer resulting in overpowering narcolepsy!
The problem is that the book doesn’t know what it is - at one point the book decides it’s Billy Connelly describing life in London with all but the dreaded ‘C word’ used in the space of four pages, then as the book builds to its conclusion.....*Spoiler Alert* she gets her hearing back!!!!W T actual F?!!!
So what’s the first thing she does? Goes to see ‘Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’ and ends with the wonderfully, oh f’ off comment: ‘Music is love in liquid form’ ! 😳
I just can’t see who this is meant to appeal to or is aimed at! I’m not sure I can recommend any book that results in ‘well that was a pile o’ pish’ as I put it down and despite some people saying ‘you can’t rate someone’s personal story’.....well you can when it’s like listening to that dull twat at a bar that your mates have found it entertaining to leave you with.
2/5 - don’t recommend (the 2 was for the Billy Connelly-esque) 4 pages.
The ‘memoir’ part is a small part but the majority of the book is a study on hearing loss taking the reader from the Glasgow dockyards to the armed forces, which would be interesting in another writer’s hands.....this, however reads like Matt Hancock’s voice has been mashed with Keir Starmer resulting in overpowering narcolepsy!
The problem is that the book doesn’t know what it is - at one point the book decides it’s Billy Connelly describing life in London with all but the dreaded ‘C word’ used in the space of four pages, then as the book builds to its conclusion.....*Spoiler Alert* she gets her hearing back!!!!W T actual F?!!!
So what’s the first thing she does? Goes to see ‘Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’ and ends with the wonderfully, oh f’ off comment: ‘Music is love in liquid form’ ! 😳
I just can’t see who this is meant to appeal to or is aimed at! I’m not sure I can recommend any book that results in ‘well that was a pile o’ pish’ as I put it down and despite some people saying ‘you can’t rate someone’s personal story’.....well you can when it’s like listening to that dull twat at a bar that your mates have found it entertaining to leave you with.
2/5 - don’t recommend (the 2 was for the Billy Connelly-esque) 4 pages.
July 31, 2019
Eye opening book about the hidden world of the ‘deafened’. One out of six among us suffer some form of noise induced hearing loss and yet no one pays attention to them. They don’t have specific charity, lobbying group, or spokesperson. They just creeped around with hands cupping their ears and try their best to manage. In fact, most of them don’t even know they lost their hearing.
I am a learner of Irish Sign Language, this book has confirmed once again why sign language should be part of the primary curriculum. It shouldn’t be taught alongside with literacy. Sign language gives us an understanding of communication that’s different from verbal communication. It’s rich and 3 dimensional.
Another takeaway from this book? Protect your hearing!!! It’s more fragile than we realise! I have ordered some earplugs for concert immediately after closing the book.
I am a learner of Irish Sign Language, this book has confirmed once again why sign language should be part of the primary curriculum. It shouldn’t be taught alongside with literacy. Sign language gives us an understanding of communication that’s different from verbal communication. It’s rich and 3 dimensional.
Another takeaway from this book? Protect your hearing!!! It’s more fragile than we realise! I have ordered some earplugs for concert immediately after closing the book.
July 11, 2020
I wanted to throw this book against the wall more than one time. I did not enjoy the way the people in this book referred to those that are Deaf or those that have become deaf later in life.
The author has every right to feel the way that she did and does. I cannot change her experiences. But I cannot understand her desire to die for the sole reason that she lost her hearing? And other people in the book that she talked to referred to hearing loss as "this crap"? I was not expecting to read about how much she hated and denied her hearing loss. I understand that she has an absolute right to feel however she felt. However, I don't think any of these things needed to be published in a book.
The author has every right to feel the way that she did and does. I cannot change her experiences. But I cannot understand her desire to die for the sole reason that she lost her hearing? And other people in the book that she talked to referred to hearing loss as "this crap"? I was not expecting to read about how much she hated and denied her hearing loss. I understand that she has an absolute right to feel however she felt. However, I don't think any of these things needed to be published in a book.
August 11, 2017
A must read for anybody facing a "deafness" diagnosis.
I wish this had been handed to me at the time as it would have prepared me for the road ahead. Sadly, my hearing will never be "cured" and I am one of 11 million ? 11 million sufferers ...why is this not made more public to alleviate the shame and bloody hard work of being hearing compromised.
A clever and insightful book with rich descriptions and honesty.
This book made me sob but ultimately left me feeling a little less alone and determined to " get on with it " ...
I wish this had been handed to me at the time as it would have prepared me for the road ahead. Sadly, my hearing will never be "cured" and I am one of 11 million ? 11 million sufferers ...why is this not made more public to alleviate the shame and bloody hard work of being hearing compromised.
A clever and insightful book with rich descriptions and honesty.
This book made me sob but ultimately left me feeling a little less alone and determined to " get on with it " ...
December 6, 2018
A compelling story of hearing lost and regained. There a lot of interesting ideas presented in this book and a lot of things that will make you consider our physical abilities. Also, something I had never considered before is that when you go deaf, it's not necessarily just the volume getting turned down until you can't hear anything, but various pitches and tones go at different times.
May 13, 2019
As a person struggling with hearing loss, a lot of her descriptions were spot on. There were chapters I found challenging to get through (not interesting to me personally) and others that made a profound impact on me. Because of my own experiences with hearing loss I did not want to read the book from beginning to end in one setting but rather pick it up if the mood to be informed hit.
September 2, 2017
Very enjoyable read. Some of her writing is extremely perceptive and fascinating. Would be interested in reading some of her other works sometime.
January 21, 2019
If a little too journalistic in its telling to quite achieve the catharsis it so carefully positions, A Story of Hearing Lost and Found remains a curious description of sensory deprivation (contextualized by a sudden reversal thereof). Being myself beset by tinnitus I am in something of a coterie with the deafened – those with afflicted ears seem to possess an almost unique understanding of sound and volume that is at best opaque to those with little stock in the inner workings of the ear. As Bathurst describes, the acoustics and amplification of a room become items of interest where for others they are simple features of the world. For a single sense to succumb to even partial individual management can become something of a lifelong commitment for those especially struck; it is in accommodating a damaged sense that the astounding capacity of the human body is truly revealed. Bathurst’s account is best when it considers such personal revelations, and the way in which sound dominates and directs life when it is expected (and how it doesn’t otherwise). Less interesting are her branches out to understand sound more holistically – so slim a volume has little room for the intricacies of white noise torture, nor Beethoven’s later career or the experience of producing music while deaf. These investigations seem appended and too concise for great detail; as aforementioned: journalistic. But if lacking in heft these asides are generally granted personal context, and Bathurst’s own remarkable (if somewhat anticlimactic) recovery presents intrigue enough to see the book through. Most essentially (and with a tint of bromide on my part), Bathurst reminds us to listen; much like I only ever wanted for silence when it was gone, so too can sound (not necessarily music, sound alone) be a gift easily forgot.
December 5, 2018
Sound: A Memoir of Hearing Lost and Found by Bella Bathurst is a highly recommended memoir of a young woman who lost her hearing, then regained it.
In 2004 Bella Bathurst was down to 30% of normal hearing. She had been slowly losing her hearing for six years. This began her twelve year journey of deafness and what she learned about her experience. She did regain he hearing through surgery, but her experience of losing her hearing taught her the richness that hearing brings to our lives. Bathurst explores more than her feelings bringing this beyond being only a memoir. She discusses the history of hearing loss and how it has been handled over the years. She shares interviews she conducted with others who have dealt with hearing loss, ear surgeons, psychologists, and professors. The book discusses the science of sound, the anatomy of the ear, the different types of hearing loss, depression as a result of hearing loss, hearing loss in musicians, and what she and others have learned and experienced as a result of losing their hearing.
This is a well-written, fascinating memoir and informational account about hearing loss. While the opening sailing experience felt over-long, the informational sections were varied, fascinating, and very well done. It made the science behind hearing accessible and engaging. Included at the end are chapter notes for further reading. I felt a great deal of empathy for Bathurst and her experiences, especially after having recently experienced some issues with my sight. It is had to admit that you are losing something you have taken for granted and then have to deal with it and (hopefully) the recovery.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Greystone Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/1...
In 2004 Bella Bathurst was down to 30% of normal hearing. She had been slowly losing her hearing for six years. This began her twelve year journey of deafness and what she learned about her experience. She did regain he hearing through surgery, but her experience of losing her hearing taught her the richness that hearing brings to our lives. Bathurst explores more than her feelings bringing this beyond being only a memoir. She discusses the history of hearing loss and how it has been handled over the years. She shares interviews she conducted with others who have dealt with hearing loss, ear surgeons, psychologists, and professors. The book discusses the science of sound, the anatomy of the ear, the different types of hearing loss, depression as a result of hearing loss, hearing loss in musicians, and what she and others have learned and experienced as a result of losing their hearing.
This is a well-written, fascinating memoir and informational account about hearing loss. While the opening sailing experience felt over-long, the informational sections were varied, fascinating, and very well done. It made the science behind hearing accessible and engaging. Included at the end are chapter notes for further reading. I felt a great deal of empathy for Bathurst and her experiences, especially after having recently experienced some issues with my sight. It is had to admit that you are losing something you have taken for granted and then have to deal with it and (hopefully) the recovery.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Greystone Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/1...
April 24, 2025
L'autrice di questo libro si è ritrovata a perdere l'udito ad una giovanissima età e ha dovuto passare attraverso diverse fasi prima di riuscire ad accettare la propria condizione.
Inizialmente non riesce ad accettare il problema e lo ignora, provando a vivere come se non ci fosse. Dopo qualche anno però inizia a raccogliere informazioni, tramite interviste e approfondite ricerche, cosa che le riesce bene essendo una giornalista di professione. Assieme a lei, nei vari capitoli si apprende ciò che ha trovato nel corso degli anni. Interviste con musicisti, tra cui il figlio di un membro dei Beatles, svelano ai lettori che la sordità nei musicisti, specie nelle rockstar, è parecchio più diffusa di quanto si possa immaginare. Un viaggio con un ingegnere del suono rivela le basi scientifiche del suono, la diversità della percezione di esso in base ad alcune caratteristiche dei luoghi in cui ci si trova, aiutando a comprendere meglio come funziona l'udito umano. Quando alla fine la protagonista è diventata più consapevole della sua crescente e graduale perdita dell'udito, viene informata di una possibile cura per il suo specifico tipo di sordità (si apprende infatti che ne esistono diversi tipi e diverse cause). L'autrice quindi decide di sottoporsi a questa operazione e infine riesce a riacquisire buona parte del suo udito.
È una storia veramente interessante, letta nel periodo giusto (e soprattutto se si hanno conoscenze che hanno perso o stanno perdendo l'udito) può cambiare la propria percezione della sordità e delle persone sorde. Inoltre dà un sacco di informazioni esaustive e di spunti per approfondimenti, guardando anche la bibliografia alla fine del libro che contiene risorse utili a questo scopo.
Inizialmente non riesce ad accettare il problema e lo ignora, provando a vivere come se non ci fosse. Dopo qualche anno però inizia a raccogliere informazioni, tramite interviste e approfondite ricerche, cosa che le riesce bene essendo una giornalista di professione. Assieme a lei, nei vari capitoli si apprende ciò che ha trovato nel corso degli anni. Interviste con musicisti, tra cui il figlio di un membro dei Beatles, svelano ai lettori che la sordità nei musicisti, specie nelle rockstar, è parecchio più diffusa di quanto si possa immaginare. Un viaggio con un ingegnere del suono rivela le basi scientifiche del suono, la diversità della percezione di esso in base ad alcune caratteristiche dei luoghi in cui ci si trova, aiutando a comprendere meglio come funziona l'udito umano. Quando alla fine la protagonista è diventata più consapevole della sua crescente e graduale perdita dell'udito, viene informata di una possibile cura per il suo specifico tipo di sordità (si apprende infatti che ne esistono diversi tipi e diverse cause). L'autrice quindi decide di sottoporsi a questa operazione e infine riesce a riacquisire buona parte del suo udito.
È una storia veramente interessante, letta nel periodo giusto (e soprattutto se si hanno conoscenze che hanno perso o stanno perdendo l'udito) può cambiare la propria percezione della sordità e delle persone sorde. Inoltre dà un sacco di informazioni esaustive e di spunti per approfondimenti, guardando anche la bibliografia alla fine del libro che contiene risorse utili a questo scopo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2018
Bello, bello, bello! Veramente illuminante e commovente!
Da udente ho sempre dato per scontato avere due orecchie perfettamente funzionanti mentre entrare, a poco a poco, nel mondo di Bella Bathurst mi ha insegnato ad ascoltare minuziosamente ciò che mi circonda.
Bella Bathurst, nei dodici anni di ipoacusia, si documenta e si confronta con altre persone affette dallo stesso problema.
Uno dei capitoli che ho trovato più interessante è sicuramente il dialogo col figlio di George Martin: Giles Martin è cresciuto diventando l’orecchio del padre che cercava di nascondere la sua imminente sordità. Un capitolo, questo, pieno di riflessioni sui continui rischi a cui sono inevitabilmente esposti i musicisti… Sentirselo raccontare è di grande impatto.
Questa storia ti lascia dentro molto, l’attenzione verso ogni suono percepito nel mondo circostante, anche il rumore più insignificante.
Da udente ho sempre dato per scontato avere due orecchie perfettamente funzionanti mentre entrare, a poco a poco, nel mondo di Bella Bathurst mi ha insegnato ad ascoltare minuziosamente ciò che mi circonda.
Bella Bathurst, nei dodici anni di ipoacusia, si documenta e si confronta con altre persone affette dallo stesso problema.
Uno dei capitoli che ho trovato più interessante è sicuramente il dialogo col figlio di George Martin: Giles Martin è cresciuto diventando l’orecchio del padre che cercava di nascondere la sua imminente sordità. Un capitolo, questo, pieno di riflessioni sui continui rischi a cui sono inevitabilmente esposti i musicisti… Sentirselo raccontare è di grande impatto.
Questa storia ti lascia dentro molto, l’attenzione verso ogni suono percepito nel mondo circostante, anche il rumore più insignificante.
March 7, 2024
Sound is about the author, Bella, who starts losing her hearing at age 27. As you read this book, you learn how hearing affects almost everything in our everyday lives and how it can impact someone if you lose it. I found this book very interesting, and it gave me a lot of new perspective on hearing and getting through tough times.
Although it was very slow at times and was sometimes pretty bored, it was still pretty enjoyable to read and it did meet my expectations.
You should know the author incorporates research and interviews with military men, rock band musicians etc., along with a story about herself, to explore the science of hearing. This is the part that I did not care for as much, just due to the fact that there was not really a plot to follow, it was just a bunch of facts and opinions.
Although it was very slow at times and was sometimes pretty bored, it was still pretty enjoyable to read and it did meet my expectations.
You should know the author incorporates research and interviews with military men, rock band musicians etc., along with a story about herself, to explore the science of hearing. This is the part that I did not care for as much, just due to the fact that there was not really a plot to follow, it was just a bunch of facts and opinions.
April 19, 2018
As someone with a personal and professional interest in deafness, especially acquired deafness rather than congenital deafness, this book was gripping. Bathhurst’s description of her experiences allowed me to better understand an experience I have not had and hopefully never will. Most importantly, for my work, I now have a much more rounded and rich sense of what it means to become deaf, from an emotional perspective but also from a practical perspective. Deaf friends have told me how it is/was for them, but Bathhurst’s skill as a writer have helped to expand my understanding of all their experiences.
October 20, 2018
Mary Roach style creative nonfiction with the added element that this is Bathurst’s own story, and it’s quite a story. Bathurst is intelligent and articulate, and the parts of the book where she addresses her condition directly are fascinating. The weakness of the book is that the illustrative anecdotes are often not that illustrative of her condition; this might still have worked if they contributed to the development of her persona, but this is not always the case. There was altogether too much information about the sailing incident: this section somehow managed to be simultaneously boring and deeply upsetting.
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