2026-04-08 – April Bokprat: Shyness and Dignity by Dag Solstad (Online)
Class Details
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Schedule: April 8 (7:00-8:15 pm CT)
- Location: This is an online class hosted on Zoom.
- Level of Instruction: Open to everyone
Description
Vesterheim hosts a monthly bokprat (book group) where we discuss Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. Join us in April for a discussion of Shyness and Dignity by Dag Solstad.
Elias Rukla begins another gray day teaching high school in Oslo, facing a classroom of students whose collective hostility he feels acutely, even as he fulfills his duty to teach Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. Absorbed by a sudden, electrifying insight into the play, he barely registers their disinterest. Later, a trivial incident—a broken umbrella—triggers an unexpected outburst that draws intense attention from his students and marks the day as different from all others.
In Shyness and Dignity, Dag Solstad crafts a penetrating portrait of a man profoundly alienated from modern life. Acclaimed as one of Norway’s most innovative writers, Solstad explores themes of dignity, intellectual passion, and isolation, revealing how a single moment can become a turning point in an otherwise quiet life.
Supplies
Registrants should secure their own copy of the book (available for purchase soon through the Vesterheim Museum Store) and have read it prior to the discussion.
Additional Supplies
Students will need to provide a computer, laptop, or tablet with a camera and mic as well as a fast, reliable internet connection.
Special Instructions
When registering for the class, please make sure to use the mailing and email addresses you'd like the Zoom meeting invitations sent to. You will receive links to the Zoom sessions by email sometime during the week prior to the class. If this class is a gift, please sign up with the recipient's mailing and email addresses or be prepared to forward the kit and all communications.
Enrollment Deadline
March 25, 2026