The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

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I enjoyed the descriptions of Amsterdam, and I loved the tales of the excursions enjoyed by "The old but not dead" club. The man lives in a nursing care home in Amsterdam and tells a blow-by-blow account of the lives of the many eccentric characters living at the home. He also documents the many stupid rules that they are forced to follow in his diary. I really enjoyed this book; it's funny, I laughed out loud in a few parts, moving, poignant, uplifting, thought provoking and makes you appreciate, understand and have more of an insight into old people and their day to day lives and obstacles. It reminds me of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole which I read while at school, albeit with the protagonist being from a different generation.

Hendrik Groen (Author of Pogingen iets van het leven te maken) - Goodreads Hendrik Groen (Author of Pogingen iets van het leven te maken) -

The first part of the book seems to be mostly anecdotes and descriptions, which certainly ring true from my experiences with family and friends and community service organisations, but they didn’t interest me. Been there, done that (well, as an outsider, for the time being). But I persisted. A senhora Voorthuizen chegou e pespegou o seu enorme tra­seiro exatamente sobre o prato com os folhados, sem sequer se dar conta.Ovo je beskonačno tužna knjiga, posebno jer imam iskustvo bliskih ljudi koji umiru teško i dugo, a medicinski radnici ih otpisuju jer su 'stari' i 'vreme im je'.

Hendrik Groen - Book Series In Order Hendrik Groen - Book Series In Order

Amongst the club's members are Evert,( Hendrik's best pal and partner in crime ), and then there is the care home's newest resident Eefje, Hendrik's dream woman ( proving that you're never too old for love!). Evert is a naughty schoolboy dressed in an aged person's body, but that doesn't stop him! Eefje on the other hand is quiet, contemplative and intelligent. Hendrik wishes he'd met her half a lifetime ago. In the latter part of the book, there are some simple yet really moving moments between Hendrik and Eefje that left me with a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes. What a change this was from my usual genres, but I'm so glad I read it, it was a pleasure and an honour to share Hendrik's life, if only for a year!

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Hendrik’s diary entries are not simple prose but lengthy rants about whatever has got Hendrik’s goat that day. The language used is not simple but very mature and his range of vocabulary is spectacular.