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Title details for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen by Hendrik Groen - Wait list

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

by Hendrik Groen
Hester Velmans
Audiobook
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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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 11, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781478970040
      • File size: 342485 KB
      • Duration: 11:53:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 29, 2017
      Delightful and moving, Groen’s novel shares a full year of the eponymous octogenarian’s journal entries, detailing his day-to-day observations, humorous inner monologues, and overall zest for life within a nursing home in Amsterdam. Bored with the daily monotony of life at the center, he decides to keep a journal for a complete year to expose the frustrations, gripes, and groans of his fellow “inmates” and the realities of growing old. Between hilarious quips about life, Hendrik regales readers with the joys of the motor scooter and his decision to relent and wear adult diapers. Hendrik’s good friend Evert—a crotchety old fellow who gets his kicks riling up the other residents—helps stave off the loneliness, but it’s when new resident Eefje arrives that Hendrik feels a spark he hasn’t experienced in a long time. Hendrik, Eefje, and Evert, along with a small group of wily seniors, decide to have a little fun while they still can by organizing the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to plan outings and excursions, including tai chi and cooking classes, and visits to the casino and museums. 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.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The humble diary of a gentleman who is fighting depression in the twilight of his life is masterfully brought to life by Derek Jacobi's outstanding narration. It's a treat to listen to Jacobi's rich voice and musical intonation as they carry the listener through Hendrik's year as he makes new friends and fights bureaucracy and boredom, carrying on through fear and loss and reveling in small joys. The characterizations are vivid and flawless; each of Hendrik's friends and foes is given a unique voice that conveys individual personality while also revealing Hendrik's attitude about the speaker. Most impressive are Jacobi's beautifully tuned emotional beats, ranging from Hendrik's sly humor to his layered indignation and delicate but penetrating grief. A delightful and richly rewarding listening experience. D.L.Y. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • Booklist

      Starred review from June 1, 2017
      For one year, 83-year-old Hendrik Groen keeps a diary of life as an inmate in an Amsterdam nursing home with both hilarious and deeply moving results. Hendrik (an alias for a famous writer, leading to much speculation) chafes at the countless, seemingly meaningless regulations and decides to form a group with five like-minded friends: the Old but Not Dead Club. Every three weeks or so, one member plans a club outinga trip to the bird park; a night at a cooking school; a 3-D movie excursion. Along the way, Groen touches on local and worldwide politics and addresses the sorry state of senior care in his home country. One of the group faces serious diabetes complications; one the onset of dementia; and Hendrik's closest female friend, Eefje, suffers a massive stroke. Groen details how the other members pitch in to help during these hard times, movingly portraying the strong bonds they've developed over this one year. Even difficult moments are interspersed with Groen's biting wit and comic take on aging and all it entails, from memory loss to adult diapers. A best-seller in Europe, Groen's diary is a page-turning delight for adult readers of any age and locale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

    • BookPage
      BookPage Top Pick in Fiction, July 2017 When we meet Hendrik in this anonymously authored Dutch bestseller, he lives in an Amsterdam retirement community where the days are long, hope is scarce and even life’s simple pleasures, like a good meal and a decent piece of cake, are in short supply. He’s friendly with a few fellow residents, but he’s generally lonely and baffled by the typical “old person” behaviors of others in the home. He’s irritated by their shallow small talk, poor hygiene and lack of self-awareness. Hendrik decides to start a journal to give himself daily purpose and a place to vent. He writes about the funny things he sees every day, like old men on motorized scooters who cause pileups with motorcyclists, a woman who accidentally sits down on a plate full of pastries, and a man who reads the same newspaper every day and reports the stories as if they’re fresh. The administrator of the home seems bent on enforcing silly rules and keeping any semblance of personality out of the residents’ lives, and Hendrik writes about the mysteries and intrigue that spring up in this closed society: the fish tank that keeps being poisoned, the woman suspected of pushing her husband’s wheelchair down the stairs and Hendrik’s own contraband Christmas tree. The reflection that comes with journaling soon offers glimmers of hope for Hendrik, and he connects with kindred spirits. Together, they form the Old But Not Dead Club and go on adventures designed to help them experience new things. The club is life-affirming for all members, and the project is a huge success. But even as we rejoice with Hendrik, he doesn’t let us forget that he and his friends are constantly threatened with and sidelined by ailments both small and serious. The way they band together and support each other is an incredible picture of friendship, and it’s something we could all stand to emulate, no matter where we are in our lives.   This article was originally published in the July 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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