This is the cover of the second book which I have yet to read
So I think this is the first book I’ve ever read where the author is actually anonymous. Yes, the name of ‘Hendrik Groen’ has been assigned as the author of this title, but that may or may not be the actual author’s name. When The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen was released in the Netherlands, people speculated that it was actually by a famous Dutch author or entertainment star (don’t ask me to name one, because I can’t give you an example), but no word has come out yet who the author actually is. In fact, there is a second book by Hendrik Groen being released in 2018 in the UK, and we still don’t know who the author is! He could be a senior in an old folks home just like his eponymous protagonist, or it could be J.K. Rowling for all we really know. It’s a mystery, and one that people care quite a bit about (including me!) just because this book was so darn good.
I doubt you’ve read anything like this, I certainly hadn’t. It’s essentially a private diary that spans the course of a year, written by an 83 year-old man in a nursing home. It’s apparently fiction (although who can really say for sure?) and it is laugh out loud funny. In fact, when I read out parts to my husband, I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to get the entire sentences out so I had to pass him the book to finish reading for me. Here’s an example of a more ‘tame’ passage that I enjoyed:
“Yesterday the Music Association offered a violin, cello, and piano trio…They were not put off by Mrs. Snijder, who almost choked on a cookie, nor by Mr. Schipper, who slid off his chair and landed sideways in a flower planter…(As opposed to the pianist who once kept playing as if nothing were the matter as Mrs. Haringa was being resuscitated. A staff member finally had to shout at him to stop. Even though at that point it no longer made any difference to Haringa)” (p.66-67 of the ARC).
So you can see why I find this book so entertaining-and Groen’s lackadaisical attitude towards his peers dying isn’t callous when you consider his situation-he is literally surrounded by death, but his attempts to keep the negativity at bay are what make the book so hopeful and lighthearted.
Why would I fear old age when I imagine my future looking like this?
Groen endures a few tribulations throughout his year, most of them involving his friends getting sicker and sicker, losing much of their independence, which won’t come as a surprise considering the age of the characters. But many positive things also take place, including the purchase of a new mobile scooter, the creation of the “Old-But-Not-Dead” club, and many heart-warming examples of the strength of new friendships, even at such an advanced age. Another aspect of this book that I found so interesting was its placement within current day events; it takes place over the calendar year of 2013, and there is frequent mention of other political and social events going on around the world. The ‘senior’ perspective of these events is always given, typically as a reference to what the other “inmates” are commenting on, as well as the general grumbling that one would expect in a nursing home.
I personally have never feared old age, in fact I look forward to moving into a place that makes my meals for me, so I can be left alone to read as long as I like, but for those who may be a bit more hesitant (i.e. the majority of the world’s population), I highly recommend this book because it will shine a new and positive light on the process of entering one’s golden years.
Ok- this sounds really great! Definitely going to be picking it up 🙂
it’s a really lovely little book, and surprisingly feel-good too!
Haha – being old enough to move into an old folks’ home has always been one of my ambitions too! This does sound like fun – I shall look out for it… 🙂
I think you’d really enjoy it!
I’m with you! I could do without the aches and pains of old age, but there’s nothing wrong with living in a place that takes care of all your needs. My biggest fear is that my eyes won’t hold out. But there are always audio books…
I love books with old characters – this one sounds great!
audio books is something that I plan on relying on quite a bit as I age!
Ha ha, I like your perspective on old age! 🙂 This does sound delightful. I think you need to retain your sense of humor to live to a ripe old age!
definitely!
I really enjoyed Joan Barfoot’s Exit Lines for its dark humour on the nursing home scene. Muriel Spark’s Memento Mori would be another “fun-but-not-fun-for-everybody” companion for this small group looking to laugh at the inevitable (might as well). The idea of anonymous books is an interesting one to consider these days, isn’t it…
Yah I was shocked that this book is still ‘anonymous’, even though it’s so successful (at least in the netherlands it was)
That’s something else that renewedly surprises me – how little cross-over there is in terms of literary popularity, even between English-speaking countries. I seem to have to keep learning that that’s so often true…
I love the humor, but the most interesting part to me is hearing what older folks think of current events. I mostly get them via my Granny’s Facebook, where she says every and anything (like a lunatic) and then never is nearly as brave in real life. My great Uncle Ralph, though, who loves Moon Pies and pencils and is older than the guy in this book, recently said (in real life) that the #MeToo movement isn’t new, just that women didn’t used to have a voice when he was a young man. I hope you review the second book, Anne!
See I’m not sure the second book will be available in Canada anytime soon-I don’t think the publisher has bought the Canadian rights to it, because I don’t think it was as popular as they thought it would be in North America.
Isn’t facebook fun, where you get to discover who from your family/friend group is a racist/bigot/horrible person? (insert eye roll here) LOL
I loved getting to know Hendrik and prefer to think of him as a real person. For the author of this review, however, Hendrik does not live in a “nursing” home. Its a “care” home….. as in “assisted living”. There is a difference. Nursing home “inmates” are confined to bed. Assisted Living “inmates” live as in a hotel and are free to come and go as they please, but have all the amenities done for them.
Thank you for the clarification Carol, I must remember that!