Decorah-area residents can explore one of Henrik Ibsen’s best-known dramas from home this fall when Vesterheim hosts a free online discussion of The Wild Duck. The Bokprat program is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The event will take place entirely online, meaning participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The format also allows readers throughout the surrounding area—and those unable to attend an in-person museum program—to join the conversation from home.
How to join Vesterheim’s October Bokprat
Advance registration through Vesterheim’s event page is required. Once registered, participants can add the event to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration alone should not be treated as the final step for attending. Vesterheim advises participants to revisit the event page shortly before the 7 p.m. start because Zoom access information may be updated. Details saved during registration may not be the newest way to enter the discussion, so the museum’s event page should be used as the final check before the program begins.
What the discussion will examine
First published in 1884, Ibsen’s play follows the Ekdal family after its fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle, an idealist determined to expose hidden truths. The drama explores the relationship between an idealistic son and his corrupt merchant father.
As Werle attempts to rescue the people around him, his father’s duplicity comes to light. The effort, however, harms the people Werle hopes to help and pushes the family toward a deeper unraveling. That conflict gives the Bokprat group material to examine, including deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The play brings serious and comic elements together through comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes it as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected the work with symbolism. The drama is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre.
Participants may also consider the family conflict and the ways humor, satire and tragedy operate together. The October gathering is a conversation about the drama, not a performance of it.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The program is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The museum announced the October program in August 2026.
Decorah-area readers interested in Scandinavian literature can register through Vesterheim’s event page and return there shortly before Wednesday, Oct. 28, for the latest Zoom information. The free at-home discussion offers a way to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.