Decorah readers can join a free online discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s “The Wild Duck” this fall without traveling to Vesterheim. The museum’s October Bokprat program will take place Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time.
Advance registration through Vesterheim’s event page is required. The registration step will provide attendees with the information needed to join the Zoom meeting, so readers interested in participating should complete the process before the event date.
How to register for Vesterheim’s online discussion
The event is free, and participants can attend remotely from home. Vesterheim’s event page is the registration point for the program and lists the process for signing up for the 7 p.m. Central start.
After registering, attendees can add the event to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live. Participants should check the museum’s event page for access details before Oct. 28, since registration is required to receive the Zoom information.
What “The Wild Duck” examines
Published in 1884, Ibsen’s play follows the Ekdal family, whose fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle. Werle is an idealist determined to expose concealed truths, while the story also follows an idealistic son who reveals the duplicity of his corrupt merchant father.
Werle’s effort to rescue the people around him ultimately destroys those he hopes to help. As the family’s circumstances unravel, the play examines deception, betrayal and the disillusionment of modern life.
The drama blends serious and comic elements through 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.
Part of Vesterheim’s Bokprat series
The October program is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book-group discussion series focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The meeting continues the series’ remote format while bringing attention to Ibsen’s play.
Vesterheim announced the program in August 2026. For Decorah-area readers interested in Scandinavian literature, the online format offers a way to take part without attending in person. Registration remains the necessary step for receiving the information to join the discussion.