Decorah-area readers will have a chance to discuss Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 play The Wild Duck from home this fall when Vesterheim brings its recurring Bokprat literary series online. The free Zoom discussion is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time.
Advance registration is required. Participants who register through Vesterheim’s event page will receive the information needed to join the meeting, including the Zoom access details for the 7 p.m. start. There is no charge to attend, and readers will not need to travel to the museum.
How to join Vesterheim’s Bokprat discussion
The museum’s event page serves as both the registration location and the source for meeting information. After registering, attendees can add the event to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Vesterheim advises registrants to return to the event page before the discussion begins for the latest Zoom information. Readers interested in taking part should complete registration before the Oct. 28 program date and check the page again before the event.
What “The Wild Duck” explores
First published in 1884, The Wild Duck follows the Ekdal family after its fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle, an idealist determined to expose concealed truths. The play also examines the relationship between an idealistic son and his corrupt merchant father, whose duplicity is revealed.
Werle’s attempt to rescue the people around him ultimately destroys those he hopes to help, pushing the family toward a deeper unraveling. The resulting drama considers deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The play combines serious and comic elements, including comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes it as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism. The work is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre, giving the Bokprat group several subjects for discussion, including family conflict and the combination of humor, satire and tragedy.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The October program is part of Vesterheim’s recurring Bokprat series, an online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. Its remote format gives readers in the Decorah area a way to discuss Scandinavian literature without attending an in-person gathering at the museum.
Vesterheim announced the program in August 2026. Readers who want to participate should register through the museum’s event page and revisit it before Wednesday, Oct. 28, for current Zoom access information.