The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

Name: The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
Brand: Hachette Audio
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Author: Hendrik Groen
ISBN: 9781478970040

Author: Hendrik Groen, Hester Velmans

Narrator: Derek Jacobi

Unabridged: 11 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Published: 07/11/2017

Categories: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Friendship, Humorous

Synopsis

In this #1 international bestseller, an old man who is young at heart proves that life doesn't stop once you enter a nursing home, perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove.

Technically speaking, Hendrik Groen is elderly. But at age 83 and one quarter, this feisty curmudgeon has no plans to go out quietly. Bored of weak tea and potted geraniums, exasperated by the indignities of aging, Hendrik has decided to rebel.

He begins writing an exposé: secretly recording the antics of day-to-day life in his retirement home, where he refuses to take himself, or his fellow ""inmates,"" too seriously. With an eccentric group of friends, he founds the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, and he and his best friend, Evert, gleefully stir up trouble, enraging the home's humorless director and turning themselves into unlikely heroes.

When a sweet and sassy widow moves in next door, he is determined to savor every ounce of joy in the time he has left, with hilarious and tender consequences. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen is an inspiring, charming, and laugh-out-loud delight for readers of any age.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Maria on January 09, 2022

Velhos mas não Mortos A velhice não é fácil! Satirizando, poderemos encará-la como um jogo de mais e menos: Mais achaques Mais rugas Mais cabelos brancos Mais resmungadelas Mais idas ao médico Mais...mais...mais... Menos dentes Menos memória Menos energia Menos alegria Menos autonomia Menos...menos...menos... Em s......more

Goodreads review by PattyMacDotComma on October 20, 2019

4★ “As part of her plan of action to combat the dementia, Grietje has composed, with my help, two new notes she is to carry with her at all times: ‘What to do if I get lost’and ‘What to do if I don’t remember exactly who someone is.’ Both notes start with: ‘Please forgive me, but I’m a bit forgetful......more

Goodreads review by JimZ on June 19, 2020

I’d have to give this 4.5 stars so I bumped up to 5 stars. 😊 The book is written in diary format written by an 83-year old man starting January 1, 2013 and ending on New Year’s Eve December 31 of that year. Henrik lives in an assisted living facility (aka ‘care home’) in the Netherlands along with a......more

Quotes

"Amusing [and] wickedly accurate...Reading The Secret Diary, I was constantly put in mind of Ken Kesey's madhouse tale One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, another comi-tragedy concerning the tyranny of institutions of the unwanted. Enjoy Groen's light touch but do not be fooled by it....The Secret Diary is a handbook of resistance for our time."—The Express (UK)

"Funny and frank - a story with a great deal of heart."—Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project

"A story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen."—John Boyne, internationally bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

"An incredible picture of friendship... something we could all stand to emulate, no matter where we are in our lives."—Bookpage, Top Fiction Pick for July

"Interspersed with Groen's biting wit and comic take on aging and all it entails... A page-turning delight for adult readers of any age and locale."—Booklist, starred review

"Poignant and true-to-life, an international bestseller."—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Engaging and hilarious, Hendrik's diary gives a dignity and respect to the elderly often overlooked in popular culture, providing readers a look into the importance of friendship and the realities of the senior care system in modern society."—Publisher's Weekly

"You might say he's the Elena Ferrante of the octogenarian set - though whether or not he is actually an octogenarian (or a man) is also anyone's guess. It's an appealing novel with a lot of heart, reminding readers young and old that fun is to be found even in the routine of everyday life. And of course, the possibility that it's more memoir than fiction is delightful."—New York Post