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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
regans's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
mynumber3voice's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Dementia
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, and Xenophobia
bookish_predator's review against another edition
5.0
Hendrik is such a wonderful character!
The shenanigans he gets up to with his friends at the care home are funny, moving, sneaky and awesome!
I read this over a few days, needed to make it last and to be a slightly more lighthearted read than my usual choice of book, it worked a treat!! I was thoroughly invested in Hendrik and all this friends and didn't want the year to end.
The good thing though is that there is another book but I'm going to have to learn Dutch to read it:)
*Huge thanks to Hendrik Groen, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
The shenanigans he gets up to with his friends at the care home are funny, moving, sneaky and awesome!
I read this over a few days, needed to make it last and to be a slightly more lighthearted read than my usual choice of book, it worked a treat!! I was thoroughly invested in Hendrik and all this friends and didn't want the year to end.
The good thing though is that there is another book but I'm going to have to learn Dutch to read it:)
*Huge thanks to Hendrik Groen, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
anleifr's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
3.5
elusorius's review against another edition
1.0
I didn't like this one. In my opinion, it was bland, depressing and unfunny. The jokes were just not good, maybe not my sense of humor. Aside from the jokes, there's not much in this book. It's the diary of an old man, who mostly sits in his care home complaining while waiting for death. Usually, there's not much interesting going on. The book tries to combat this by talking about Dutch politics in 2013. Politics don't usually interest me and, seeing how these are extremely outdated, this was just as boring as the events in the care home. Nearing the end, I did find myself getting a bit emotionally attached to some of the characters. I think the main characters were the only decent thing about this book, even though they were barely focused on throughout the story. Shame that there were so many side characters that were talked about once and never heard from again.
If this book has your sense of humor, you might enjoy it. Personally, I don't get the hype.
If this book has your sense of humor, you might enjoy it. Personally, I don't get the hype.
shelbibailey's review against another edition
3.0
Hendrix Groen is 83 1/4 years old with the humor and vigor for life of a much younger man. I loved the humor of this story and how it she’d light on the problems that people in nursing homes face. While reading I felt a great desire to visit and care for my elderly relatives. It was a fun read and I would definitely recommend.
carollynnrivera's review against another edition
2.0
Someone read "A Man Called Ove" and decided to capitalize on the curmudgeonly-old-person trend. But where Ove was charming, funny and profoundly human, this was basically depressing and superficial. I suppose I left it feeling like I had a better appreciation for the challenges and loneliness of the elderly but it also made me wish fervently that I'd die before I hit 70.
The "author" (meaning the diarist) spent a lot of time complaining about how old people do nothing but complain. It was really strange to read a fictional account that read like someone's literal diary - boring, dry details about what he ate for dinner, what the weather was like, and the cuts the government was making to elderly care.
Sarcasm and dry wit can be used to great effect, but in this book it just read like complaint after complaint. If you want sarcasm done well, go with Elinor Oliphant.
Apparently old people hide money in socks, get ripped off, derided or ignored by everyone they meet, and are generally mean to each other. Even the friendships were not very interesting. He talks about their monthly outings but there is nothing compelling about them unless you want to know what they ate and whether it rained that day. In some cases he even mentions how excited he was about a particular outing, without ever mentioning what they did or what happened (a result of the actual author's lack of imagination, I can only guess).
There was no introspection, so other than reading the occasional "tell, don't show" sentence about how sad he was one day or how touching some show of kindness was, you can't really care about him or any of the characters.
And I don't have an issue with the "depressing" aspect except that it was more hopeless than poignant. I honestly don't understand the rave reviews. Unless maybe you're in your 80s and can have a chuckle about "dribbling" in your pants, there were few redeeming qualities here. Too many entries (one per day for a year) made any kind of detail or reflection impossible.
And maybe I just don't have the experience with assisted living facilities that the author does, but I've known a lot of old people who aren't mean, dull, smelly, or constantly worried about whether they'll get the right cookies for dessert.
The "author" (meaning the diarist) spent a lot of time complaining about how old people do nothing but complain. It was really strange to read a fictional account that read like someone's literal diary - boring, dry details about what he ate for dinner, what the weather was like, and the cuts the government was making to elderly care.
Sarcasm and dry wit can be used to great effect, but in this book it just read like complaint after complaint. If you want sarcasm done well, go with Elinor Oliphant.
Apparently old people hide money in socks, get ripped off, derided or ignored by everyone they meet, and are generally mean to each other. Even the friendships were not very interesting. He talks about their monthly outings but there is nothing compelling about them unless you want to know what they ate and whether it rained that day. In some cases he even mentions how excited he was about a particular outing, without ever mentioning what they did or what happened (a result of the actual author's lack of imagination, I can only guess).
There was no introspection, so other than reading the occasional "tell, don't show" sentence about how sad he was one day or how touching some show of kindness was, you can't really care about him or any of the characters.
And I don't have an issue with the "depressing" aspect except that it was more hopeless than poignant. I honestly don't understand the rave reviews. Unless maybe you're in your 80s and can have a chuckle about "dribbling" in your pants, there were few redeeming qualities here. Too many entries (one per day for a year) made any kind of detail or reflection impossible.
And maybe I just don't have the experience with assisted living facilities that the author does, but I've known a lot of old people who aren't mean, dull, smelly, or constantly worried about whether they'll get the right cookies for dessert.
luci_liest's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.25
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 years old - "Hendrik Groen" (Peter de Smet)
Hendrik is an OAP (old age pensioner) living in a care home in Amsterdam. One day he decides to start a diary because he's too polite to tell people what he really thinks, but he wants people to know, once he's dead, what he really thought (his friend Evert is supposed to read some pages at his funeral). And so Hendrik starts narrating his daily experiences and observations of the other people in the care home. It's very funny. But in time his focus shifts because he accumulates a group of friends and together they start the 'Old but not Dead' club, in which they organise various outings and have some fun (the others in the care home are very envious). Those outings are very entertaining and I was always very curious what the next one would be. And he falls in love once again.
And then the book becomes a little sad. Death isn't far in a place like this after all.
Cheers to the 'Zwei Seiten' podcast ( @mona.ameziane ) for the recommendation.
8.5/10
Hendrik is an OAP (old age pensioner) living in a care home in Amsterdam. One day he decides to start a diary because he's too polite to tell people what he really thinks, but he wants people to know, once he's dead, what he really thought (his friend Evert is supposed to read some pages at his funeral). And so Hendrik starts narrating his daily experiences and observations of the other people in the care home. It's very funny. But in time his focus shifts because he accumulates a group of friends and together they start the 'Old but not Dead' club, in which they organise various outings and have some fun (the others in the care home are very envious). Those outings are very entertaining and I was always very curious what the next one would be. And he falls in love once again.
And then the book becomes a little sad. Death isn't far in a place like this after all.
Cheers to the 'Zwei Seiten' podcast ( @mona.ameziane ) for the recommendation.
8.5/10
jkozlowski4's review against another edition
4.0
At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book, because there didn't seem to be a building plot. However, I found myself falling in love with the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the wit and humor throughout. Will definitely be picking up the second book.