The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

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Jarenlang was onbekend wie er schuilging achter het pseudoniem. Dit leidde tot allerlei speculaties. Namen uiteenlopend van Sylvia Witteman tot Arnon Grunberg werden genoemd. De Volkskrant en NRC Handelsblad onthulden in 2016 vrijwel gelijktijdig dat het ging om de toen 62-jarige Peter de Smet. [2] De Smet reageerde daarop met de woorden dat hij 'niet zit te wachten op publiciteit' en dat hij geen zin had 'in de heisa van bekendheid'. Hendrik's diary expresses all the things we all wish we could say and do. He and his cohort Evert even occasionally stir the pot by expressing those sarcastic and petulant thoughts aloud. And maybe at age 83 1/4 he has earned the right to. Between the silly rules and the cantankerous residents at his retirement home, Hendrik has much to keep him both amused and discomfited. The three G's (gossip, grousing, and gibberish) keep his days interesting.

Hendrik Groen - Penguin Books UK Hendrik Groen - Penguin Books UK

But when Hendrik learns of a plan to close the home down he realises life outside it could be much worse. He and the gang must stop the closure before it's too late. Or drop dead trying . . . Imagined or not, this is the diary of someone who wants nothing more than to be allowed see out his days with dignity and respect. It’s not too much to ask, really, is it? Hendrik discovers that pranks are a lot of fun, and his disposing of some unwanted cake in an aquarium stirs up more than a few dead fish. It's a major incident, and the authorities seek to investigate!I really liked this book and it was great to enter Hendrik’s world on such an intimate and personal level. Even if you do not have an elderly relative living in a care home, it is great read in the way that reality television fails to capture. It is a very good reading experience that I will vote the top score of 5 stars because it is entertaining, informative and rather witty. De tekst is beschikbaar onder de licentie Creative Commons Naamsvermelding/Gelijk delen, er kunnen aanvullende voorwaarden van toepassing zijn. Zie de gebruiksvoorwaarden voor meer informatie. And some of their ideas ARE bright and inventive. The "Club" gets up to all sorts of things. Hendrik was not a fan of aids and equipment, from incontinence pads to mobility scooters, but as he sees what others are dealing with (and how much fun the scooters are), he does learn to adapt and look forward. After all, if he wants to get out and about . . .

Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old review: a nome de The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old review: a nome

As part of her plan of action to combat the dementia, Grietje has composed, with my help, two new notes she is to carry with her at all times: ‘What to do if I get lost’ and ‘What to do if I don’t remember exactly who someone is.’ Both notes start with: ‘Please forgive me, but I’m a bit forgetful.’Let me say right here and now, that if I ever end up in a care home, I pray that there is a Hendrik and an Evert to brighten up my remaining days, I just LOVE Hendrik! Hendrik Groen doesn't like old people. Their zimmer frame shuffle, unreasonable impatience, endless complaints, their tea and biscuits, smells or creaking bodies. Although he himself is 83 years old and lives in a residential care home in the Netherlands. For years it was unknown who was hiding behind the pseudonym. This led to speculation about who it could be. Names from Sylvia Witteman to Arnon Grunberg were mentioned. Both De Volkskrant and NRC Handelsblad revealed almost simultaneously in 2016 that Peter de Smet Hendrik Groen, pseudonym of Peter de Smet, is a Dutch writer. He is the author of the book Pogingen iets van het leven te maken: Het geheime dagboek van Hendrik Groen, 83¼ jaar ( The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old) published in 2014. That book was awarded in 2016 with the Audience Award for the Dutch Book. The sequel Zolang er leven is: het tweede geheime dagboek van Hendrik Groen, 85 jaar ( On the Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen) appeared in 2016. The book, written in the form of a diary, holds acutely astute observations on what it is to be 'old'. Rendered in a direct and simple way, without artifice, the book just works.

Hendrik Groen - Wikipedia Hendrik Groen - Wikipedia

Hendrik is fed up of being a civil, ingratiating, courteous, polite and helpful bloke. He tends to choose the path of least confrontation to try to please everybody. To stop himself spiralling into depression and boredom - in a place where to some residents the most exciting moment of their day is wondering what biscuits will arrive with their tea and coffee - he decides to give the world a taste of the real Hendrikus Gerardus Groen, by writing an uncensored diary into a year in the life of a group of "inmates" (as he calls his fellow residents), in a care home in north Amsterdam. His whistleblowing account shows us what life is really like for people in care homes; the rules, regulations and human interactions. Highly entertaining, utterly convincing. A delightful and touching saga of one man's way of coping with old age' Daily Express The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ years old' by Hendrik Groen is a year in the life of Hendrik Groen who lives in a nursing home. My only worry when I started this book was whether it could hold my interest for the complete year of the diary. I needn't have worried the book did more than hold my attention it was full of little anecdotes that amused and even laugh out loud at times. There are some wonderful characters in this book and even a love interest. Some of the residents form a club called the 'Old-But-Not Dead Club' and this gives the members new hope and entertainment to help them through their old age.Let's clear one thing up: Hendrik Groen is not the author of this book. In fact, no one (outside of his Dutch editor) is aware of the author's identity. Speculation is rife that he or she might in fact be a famous writer working under a pseudonym. It hardly matters, for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old is a joy to read, as much concerned with friendship and dignity as it is with the debilitating effects of aging. 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!