Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old

by Hendrik Groen

  • Grand Central Publishing
  • 2017
  • ISBN: 978-1455542178
  • 378 pages
  • WorldCat
Hendrik Groen book cover
About the Book

Delightful and moving, Groen’s novel shares a full year of the eponymous octogenarian’s journal entries, detailing his day-to-day observations, humorous inner monologues, and overall zest for life within a nursing home in Amsterdam. Engaging and hilarious, Hendrik’s diary gives dignity and respect to the elderly often overlooked in popular culture, providing readers a look into the importance of friendship and the realities of the senior care system in modern society. ebook icon Audio book icon 

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen has been translated into over twenty languages.​

Review

Likely Stories: The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrick Groen by Jim McKeown, KWBU, April 4, 2019
No image for author
About the Author

Hendrik Groen started his pseudonymous diary on the literary website of Torpedo magazine. He says about his first novel: “There’s not one sentence that’s a lie, but not every word is true.” In the media, there has been a lot of speculation about who Hendrik Groen could be. Is he an actual octogenarian? Is he a famous Dutch writer? A well-known Dutch stand-up comedian? He remains a mystery.

Host a Book Discussion

  • Join the Discussion for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen promotion

    Do you want to share this book with your reading group? The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) has made it easy to promote and discuss.

    • Discussion Guide PDF
    • Social Media JPG
    • Poster PDF* [8.5 x 11]
    • Reading Club Bookmark PDF


    * How to edit PDF files

  • "First published in the Netherlands as 'Attempts to Make Something of Life. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old' by Meulenhoff 2014"--Title page verso

Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).