Decorah-area readers will be able to discuss Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck from home this fall when Vesterheim brings its Scandinavian literature series, Bokprat, online Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The free Zoom conversation is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time. Advance registration through Vesterheim’s event page is required, so anyone planning to attend should sign up before the program begins.
How to join the Vesterheim discussion
After registering, participants can add the event to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live. The museum’s event page will provide the information needed to join the discussion, including access details for the 7 p.m. start.
Vesterheim advises attendees to return to that page shortly before the discussion begins. Zoom information may be updated, making the event page the source for the latest access details. Readers should check it again before the program starts rather than relying only on information saved when they registered.
Because the gathering is online, participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim. The remote format allows people in the Decorah area to take part from home while discussing Scandinavian literature with the Bokprat group.
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. The father’s duplicity is revealed as Werle tries to rescue the people around him, but that effort ultimately destroys those he hopes to help and sends the family toward a deeper unraveling.
Discussion topics may include the play’s treatment of deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life. The drama combines serious and comic elements, including comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes the work as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism.
The play is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre, giving readers several possible ways into the conversation, from family conflict to the way humor, satire and tragedy operate together.
Part of Vesterheim’s Bokprat series
The October event is part of Vesterheim’s recurring Bokprat series, an online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. Vesterheim announced the program in August 2026.
Readers interested in joining should register through the museum’s event page and revisit that page before Wednesday, Oct. 28, for the current Zoom access information.