# The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

By Hendrik Groen · Hendrik Groen, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-secret-diary-of-hendrik-groen-831-4-years-old-5c440571/

At 83, Hendrik Groen has started keeping a private record of life in his Amsterdam care home. He and his friend Evert recruit fellow residents into the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, arranging escapes from the daily routine. The arrival of Eefje gives Hendrik another reason to care about tomorrow.

## What makes it funny?

In the opening diary entries, a resident sits on a plate of pastries. Evert supplies the joke; Hendrik laughs, receives disapproving looks and promptly apologizes. Readers in book groups enjoy this funny, reflective narrator and single out his resolve to spend the time he has left pleasantly, without taking everything so seriously.

### The comedy at work

Hendrik writes down the sharp remarks he rarely dares to say aloud. That private voice lets him complain about the complainers, while his accounts of management expose a director who discovers the virtues of openness when publicity is available.

### Try this if…

For readers drawn to an older narrator with a caustic private voice, close friendships and modest acts of rebellion. The care-home setting gives everyday disputes over rules and routines room to matter.

### Good to know

The diary includes dementia, declining health and thoughts of death, and some entries are sad. Hester Velmans translated the novel from Dutch. On the Bright Side continues Hendrik’s diary.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary
- On the shelf: Diary & letters
- Kind of humor: Dry wit · Satire
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel
- Length: 400 pages
- Published: 2017

## A few distinguishing details

- A year of secret care-home observations
- The Old-But-Not-Dead Club

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Penguin lists The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old by Hendrik Groen, paperback ISBN 9781405924016, 400 pages.](https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/289216/the-secret-diary-of-hendrik-groen-83-years-old-by-groen-hendrik/9781405924016)
- Reading sample: [Opening diary entries, Shelf Awareness](https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=632)
- Reader discussion: [Muse reader leads, November 2026, part 7](https://facebook.com/groups/bookrecommendations/permalink/5354252141316222)
- Publisher: [Grand Central Publishing](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hendrik-groen/the-secret-diary-of-hendrik-groen/9781455542178?lens=grand-central-publishing)
- Review: [Bookreporter review by Kate Ayers](https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-secret-diary-of-hendrik-groen)