The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
Book - 2017
"Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon. Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he has to visit his doctor more than he'd like. Technically speaking he is...elderly. But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums? Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs--not least his new endeavor, the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club. And when Eefje moves in--the woman Hendrik has always longed for--he polishes his shoes (and his teeth), grooms what's left of his hair and attempts to make something of the life he has left, with hilarious, tender and devastating consequences."--Amazon.com.
Publisher:
New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2017.
Edition:
First U.S. edition.
Copyright Date:
©2016
ISBN:
9781455542178
1455542172
1455542172
Branch Call Number:
Fic Groe
Characteristics:
378 pages ; 22 cm
Additional Contributors:
Alternative Title:
Secret diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 years old


Opinion
From the critics

Community Activity

Comment
Add a CommentSomeone recommended this book to me and I am so glad they did. What a fun look at this man's life. What a sad look at his life. What an interesting look at his life. As I am 78, I see my future if it is not already here.
You'll laugh and cry when you read about the hijinks of the Old But Not Dead Club, a group of older adults who refuse to pass their twilight years doing nothing but instead doing something. Fans of A Man Called Ove, try this.
Excellent, absolutely excellent!
I *loved* this book, and the sequel. Wonderful characters, laugh-out-loud moments, tenderness, pathos, thoughtfulness... I'd give it five stars, but it seems all I can do is add a comment. (Edit--okay, I think I managed to give it its well-deserved five stars!)
83 Year old Hendrik Groen has decided to live the last years of his life to its fullest- so he and his friend form the Not Dead Yet Club.
I found this book rang very true about the dreary lives of many in seniors' facilities. Fortunately Hendrik and his gang decide to tackle this problem for themselves. An interesting read.
It's a clever conceit that examines very real implications of aging, death and how do you best manage both. Hendrik is a delight.
This book is a pure delight, one of the most amusing things I've read in many years. Gruen is a sly, mischievous old guy with a sardonic view of his world and those around him. He is waging a full time battle against the seemingly endless unwritten "regulations" that govern the seniors residence where he lives. As a founding member of the "Old but Not Dead" club he and his band of fellow rebels are intent upon living their lives to the full.
Gruen has brilliantly recreated the reality that many of us will face, with absolute honesty, courage, empathy and above all humor.
By far the best thing I've read so far this year.
I really enjoy these old-people-as-protagonists books, and this one is no exception. Funny and sort of heart-breaking, totally recommend.
This book brought me so much joy (and, admittedly, a little bit of melancholy). Hendrik Groen is the grandpa we all wished we had. He's fastidious in his ways, compassionate, and just a little bit grumpy. His "secret diary" reveals the day-to-day hopes, musings, and gripes of an elderly man who lives in a senior home with other residents he finds mostly petty and annoying (with a few golden exceptions). Hendrik's mission to forge meaningful friendships and live out the last of his days as fully as he is able will renew your lease on life and have you in stitches.