Introduction to the text, development, history, and social context of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and early Jewish literature.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026← Departments
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Literature in Translation
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The department at a glance
All recorded grades average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
How grades break down
Grades over time
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
About these statistics
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Fall 2026
Recorded this termcourses with offerings
instructors recorded
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
Find your next class
24 coursesHistorical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.
This course studies Vladimir Nabokov's major novels within Russian and American literary contexts, focusing on his role as an artist in exile.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students must read 100-200 pages of literature weekly and attend class to participate, with penalties for absence including short written reflections.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025This course explores European Yiddish fiction, poetry, folklore, and cinema from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is rated as low difficulty, with assignments allowing resubmissions except for the final paper.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025GERMAN/LITTRANS 276 explores diverse world literary traditions with an emphasis on German and German speaking cultures.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course requires readings, films, and music. Exams consist of open-note mini-essays, and students emphasize that attending lectures is essential for preparation.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026This course critically engages with German fairy tales, analyzing themes of gender, sexuality, and race within their social and political contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers characterize the class as easy with manageable workload, noting the content is interesting and the material is enjoyable to cover.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Fall 2025MACHIAVELLI AND HIS WORLD introduces major works of Machiavelli via close reading in cultural and historical contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students must complete all readings before exams and maintain high attendance, as attendance constitutes a large part of the grade.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Investigates food representation in Italian literature and its connection to identity in Italophone culture.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sampleSurvey of 19th-century Russian prose fiction from Pushkin to Chekhov.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of David Bethea, Irina Shevelenko: Reviewers consistently report a high volume of reading with quick turnarounds. Work includes challenging tests, essays, and frequent quizzes, requiring significant time management.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Survey of 19th-century Russian prose fiction from Pushkin to Chekhov.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of David Bethea, Irina Shevelenko: Students must read assigned books and stay current with material to succeed on exams, with additional writing requirements in Comm-B sections.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025This course explores Anton Chekhov's works within the context of Russian culture and his universal appeal.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sampleLITTRANS 222
Dostoevsky in Translation
3–4 creditsExamines Dostoevsky's exploration of life's fundamental questions through close reading of translated works.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The workload involves significant reading of novels and writing three to four analysis essays, supplemented by discussion posts and short quizzes. Students are warned not to fall behind on the reading.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Introduction to the cultural and literary practices of the Portuguese-speaking world through readings from Portugal, Brazil, and Lusophone Africa.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Luis Madureira: Grading criteria were reported as unclear, with delays in grading until the end of the term under Luis Madureira.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2025 · limited sampleLITTRANS 231
Manga
3 creditsSurveys manga history from premodern precursors to contemporary subgenres using critical frameworks.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviews disagree on rigor; one finds it difficult to earn an A, while others describe it as the easiest course with minimal homework and simple quizzes.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2024 · limited sampleExamines prerevolutionary Russian life through visual arts, architecture, music, cinema, and literature.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Galina Lapina: Workload consists of four papers and quizzes that are considered fairly easy, provided students pay attention in class and read the materials.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sampleLITTRANS 247 explores periods, genres, and themes in Russian and Eastern European literature.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Kirill Ospovat: Workload is light, often involving homework during lecture or simple reading, with timed quizzes noted as the primary stressor.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines national identity in a globalized world through Italian literature, history, and rhetorical analysis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2024–Fall 2025 · limited sampleCovers Italian history and culture from the Unification (1860) to the 21st century.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course features three to four in-class essay exams where students choose from provided prompts. Preparation involves attending lectures to capture detailed analyses and reading the assigned novels, though one reviewer reported not reading the books at all.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025A critical survey of premodern Chinese literature from earliest times to the 18th century.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
One historical review characterizes the workload as minimal, suggesting the class is an easy A if students simply attend lectures.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleThis course examines the works of Hans Christian Andersen, focusing on his fairytales, narrative mastery, and biographical context.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers describe the workload as light with relatively short readings, noting that flipped Fridays are the primary time commitment and the class is generally easy.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025LITTRANS 326 is a topics course focusing on the study of specific authors or themes within modern Dutch and Flemish literature.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers note that while the course requires reading, the homework load is light. One student found the chosen texts enjoyable.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2025This course explores Dante's Divine Comedy, examining the journey of the human soul through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise within its historical and cultural contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers note little to no out-of-class work, though exams are difficult without attending lectures. One reviewer found assignment criteria unclear, while others consider tests straightforward if lecture content is mastered.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Explores memory theories and their representation in modern literature from Proust to Knausgard.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
Introduction to Polish literature and culture from its beginnings to World War II, examining major traditions and narratives.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleAcross course levels
Recorded this termNo released grades for this term.
Recorded offerings over time
Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.