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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Superb, made me laugh - and made me cry.
I don't think we can ever be reminded too often that we are all ageing all the time, that one day every one of us will be in a similar position to the residents of Hendrik's care home.
It is a humbling portrait, our dignified protagonist and diary writer, the 83-year-old Amsterdam native Hendrik Groen, who narrates a year in the life of his care home.
Hendrik has bladder problems, no visitors, a fondness for his new neighbour that his quiet nature keeps under wraps. Over the course of the year, his friendship with a small group of like-minded pensioners becomes a club of supportive and close-knit 'Old But Not Dead' comrades, who keep their will to live high with trips and jaunts, and support each other as the inevitable health complaints strike their members.
Hendrik and his friends are a group I warmed to immediately. They care about each other, they help each other, they raise each other's spirits.
But as well as a heart-warming story of making the most of our sunset years, Hendrik also takes us on a tour of a care home - the money-saving tactics, the rules, the food, the routines. As many of us may find ourselves somewhere like this one day, it's something we should be paying attention to now.
And besides all THIS, it's a day-to-day insight into one man's life, a man with sad memories, one who enjoys being outside in the rain, deciding whether or not to get a mobility scooter, one observing the crazy, the the eccentric, the grumpy old folks he lives amongst.
The years has highs and lows, but it never feels less than honest. Even in their eighties (or even nineties), the residents discuss current events, always how it relates to them of course, but it keeps the story feeling contemporary - these pensioners are part of today's world but also outside of it. Hendrik's world is enclosed in his flat, his care home, old age can be isolating.
It's a wonderful, wonderful book. I'm debating whether or not to buy my 85 year old widowed grandmother a copy, not sure if it will amuse and entertain her or if the sadder parts will have the opposite effect.
Either way, it's a book I'm very glad to have read, many years away from retiring myself it's a book I couldn't put down, Hendrik's life and character really hit home. I must come back to it later in life.
Definitely one that everyone should read. Very highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
I don't think we can ever be reminded too often that we are all ageing all the time, that one day every one of us will be in a similar position to the residents of Hendrik's care home.
It is a humbling portrait, our dignified protagonist and diary writer, the 83-year-old Amsterdam native Hendrik Groen, who narrates a year in the life of his care home.
Hendrik has bladder problems, no visitors, a fondness for his new neighbour that his quiet nature keeps under wraps. Over the course of the year, his friendship with a small group of like-minded pensioners becomes a club of supportive and close-knit 'Old But Not Dead' comrades, who keep their will to live high with trips and jaunts, and support each other as the inevitable health complaints strike their members.
Hendrik and his friends are a group I warmed to immediately. They care about each other, they help each other, they raise each other's spirits.
But as well as a heart-warming story of making the most of our sunset years, Hendrik also takes us on a tour of a care home - the money-saving tactics, the rules, the food, the routines. As many of us may find ourselves somewhere like this one day, it's something we should be paying attention to now.
And besides all THIS, it's a day-to-day insight into one man's life, a man with sad memories, one who enjoys being outside in the rain, deciding whether or not to get a mobility scooter, one observing the crazy, the the eccentric, the grumpy old folks he lives amongst.
The years has highs and lows, but it never feels less than honest. Even in their eighties (or even nineties), the residents discuss current events, always how it relates to them of course, but it keeps the story feeling contemporary - these pensioners are part of today's world but also outside of it. Hendrik's world is enclosed in his flat, his care home, old age can be isolating.
It's a wonderful, wonderful book. I'm debating whether or not to buy my 85 year old widowed grandmother a copy, not sure if it will amuse and entertain her or if the sadder parts will have the opposite effect.
Either way, it's a book I'm very glad to have read, many years away from retiring myself it's a book I couldn't put down, Hendrik's life and character really hit home. I must come back to it later in life.
Definitely one that everyone should read. Very highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
theaudioauditor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cpareader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alidottie's review against another edition
3.0
3 and a half stars
Cute book, just not all that interesting to me especially since it is set in Denmark the issues about Senior care and politics are less relevant to me. Nevertheless, I liked the main character and his cronies.
Cute book, just not all that interesting to me especially since it is set in Denmark the issues about Senior care and politics are less relevant to me. Nevertheless, I liked the main character and his cronies.
pamietnikzczytelni's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0