← Literature in Translation (LITTRANS)

Easiest courses in Literature in Translation

Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.

Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.

Find your fit

15 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Only courses with at least 100 letter grades are ranked.

Covers 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 2025

LITTRANS 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 2025

Offering 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 2025

This 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 2025

GERMAN/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 2026

Survey 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 2025

This 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 2025

Examines 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 2025

LITTRANS 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 2026

Survey 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 2025

This 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 2025

MACHIAVELLI 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 2025

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 2025

This 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 2026

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