If you are taking this class just to get by with an easy A, low stress, and you don't have to do work, Professor Zimmerman is not a good choice. He is a great and engaging lecturer and if you read the books and take notes on the lectures, you should do fine although that is still a ton of work. He is really responsive and readily available.

I'm taking this course for summer, and it's absolutely terrible. He expects us to complete so many things that would be complete in a full 16 week semester, into 8 weeks which is unreasonable. TA's usually grade everything, and depending who you have could impact your grade. Don't take as summer course.

Be prepared to work, but if youre engaged with the material and listen to lectures youll be fine. Definitely not an easy A.

He is a great guy who personally gets to know his students. His class is the worst class that I have taken so far in college. He is the hardest grader that I have ever had which was dumb for an introductory 100 level class made for non-lit majors. The class was an unbelievable amount of work as well for a class that fulfills a breadth class. 0/10.

If you are not an English major, avoid this professor at all cost. Lectures are mandatory, incredibly boring, and pointless since you're not allowed to use lecture ideas on the papers. I had to spend more time out of class on this introductory literature course than I did for courses that I actually cared about in my major.

Lectures were mandatory and boring. The class heavily focused on "originality," which made students unable to write about topics from lecture or discussion. The focus on originality made the essays seem arbitrary. The grading was very tough, and the expectations were extremely high. The class contradicted what I learned in other lit classes.

Professor Zimmerman is awesome. However, this class is not the easiest if you are looking for an intro level lit credit. It is really hard to get an A on a paper in this class but the class is interesting

The class is lecture-heavy, so it's important to attend class. If you miss one reading (there are many), you'll fall completely behind. Lectures are engaging and give perspective that students might not recognize upon a first reading, but that sometimes makes lecture hard to follow. Overall, Prof. Zimmerman genuinely cares about students, though.

Lecture is entirely notetaking and he fails to let the reader interpret what they think the book is about. There is not a wide variety of themes to the books we read-- class rank and race make an appearance in almost every book. As a 100 level class, it is unnecessarily difficult. I wouldn't take it if you're not into literary analysis.

lots of reading, insane expectations for an intro level lit class. He's passionate about the reading, however I did not agree with half of what he said, and frankly was just annoyed by him. He was a nice guy though who takes genuine interest in students!

Prof. Zimmerman is brilliant. His discussions are incredibly insightful and well done, and his passion for the material is infectious. He cares about his students more than any prof. I have had: he will give 3 pages of detailed feedback on a 2 page essay. HOWEVER: his class is HARD. You will have your essays torn to shreds, but it WILL improve you.

One of the best, most engaging professors in English. Makes you work to engage with the material and become a better writer-seems tough at first but not difficult to do well if you try. Cares a lot about students and the material and is always helpful. Would take all of his classes.

Do NOT take if you don't like reading or lots of homework. Grades HARSH

Zimmerman is one of those teachers who's very interested in the subject he teaches and wants you to do your best. He's good at making a large class feel small. That being said, the course is way too hard for an intro level. Papers were harshly graded. Lectures were useless because you can't use them in your paper. Do not take to fulfill lit req.

Papers: If you want an A in the essay, have a thesis not discussed by professor. Explain and connect quotes, not just putting them in. Lectures: there will be many moments of what the heck. Reading: a lot of reading. Finals: doable and easier than essays if prepared well. Take a different class if for requirement.

The grading is very difficult, but his enthusiasm for the subject is very apparent. Some of the most rewarding lectures you'll attend. He really makes you think, but be prepared for him to give away the endings to a lot of the books.

This course is graded too harshly for a 100 level course. After going to numerous TA office hours to get essay help, I still somehow got C's on them, even after making changes to my essays that the TA herself recommended. If you're just trying to fulfill a lit requirement, AVOID this course.

Papers are graded very harshly. Otherwise, an enjoyable class.

One of the hardest classes I've taken, which makes no sense considering it's an entry level class. I attended all lectures and discussions and still got C's on my papers. If you want to fulfill a lit requirement, don't take this class, plain and simple.

I took this class in Spring 2014 for the literature requirement. The class was graded way too harshly. I would not take this class again. To get As on the essays you must be perfect, which is ridiculous for an introductory course. Somehow I must have done bad enough on the final (even though I studied for 7 hours) to get a final grade of a B.

I loved Professor Zimmerman. His lecture style is captivating and interesting. However, if you're looking for an easy literature credit, DON'T take this class. Grades are based on 3 essays and a final and the essays are graded pretty tough. It's important to note, however, that the bulk of your grade is determined by your TA.

Professor Zimmerman is great! He is really engaging in lectures. However, there is a lot of reading involved, so if you don't like that, this is not the class for you.

He is a great professor and I enjoyed going to lecture. But the class is a lot of fast paced reading that I would not recommend for those who are taking heavy course loads or other reading intensive classes because once you get behind it is hard to catch up.

If you're just trying to fulfill a Literature requirement I would avoid this class. TAs seemed to grade pretty harshly for a intro course.

I thought Professor Zimmerman was engaging and passionate. The class was somewhat challenging in that it was a lot of work and required effort, but I believe that we learned very useful skills.

Essay assignments were designed so that the only reason to go to class was to find out what NOT to write about. Completely irrational, a terrible teacher, and he probably gave 5 A's in a 200 person lecture of kids just fulfilling lit requirements

I thought I signed up for "Into to American and British literature pre-1914", but it turns out what I really signed up for was "Self-Involved Guy Gives Useless Lectures On Science Fiction Novels And Justifies Having His TAs Give You Bad Grades By Saying 'This Isn't High School Anymore'". Do not take this class. Avoid this professor at all costs.

I found Prof. Zimmerman to be truly enthusiastic and energetic about lectures. His interest in the course material made attendance fun. I found the TAs to be fair but critical. The readings were a little too race based for a white professor and white students to be constantly talking about. My TA SUCKED don't take Frances Laskey is possible.

This professor presumptuously assumed that he was cut out to give lectures on what its like to be a person of color, yet while he is a white male who attended Yale. This was annoying, and shows how self involved he was. Less and less people attended lecture as we all slowly realized this guy would talk for five hours -about anything- if allowed to.

He really was full of himself. I thought the class was sub-par in importance and that his assignments were harder than they really needed to be. Not the best.

Professor Zimmerman is great! He is very intelligent and even though class is mandatory, he definitely makes it worth while to attend. However, the grading is pretty difficult for a 100 level class. This should not deter you from taking his class. Go to office hours and learn what he expects- you'll get a good grade and have a fantastic experience.

Very engaging in lectures and will interest you even if you despise literature, but alot of reading

Such a great guy. SO passionate and it makes the entire lecture interested in the material. It's was a huge lecture but he knew most people by name and was always the most considerate person. Loved the material and it could not have been a better experience. I wish he taught more classes!

Awesome lecturer, one of my favorite professors I've had at UW. Problem is TA's grade everything. TA graded too hard for a 100 level English class. Regardless, great professor.

Fabulous professor!! He's super passionate about the material and he picks great books. Lectures are a treat and I learned so much from him. I'm taking another class with him even though I'm not an English major, he's that good.

Zimmerman's a great guy! Really engaging and entertaining in lectures. There's 3 papers graded by the TAs (I had a pretty hard TA but heard that some were pretty easy. It's all up to the TA, really), but the final is a grade booster. I highly suggest going to his office hours, even if it's just to chat about Vonnegut and used books like I did.

Zimmerman is AWESOME. He has crystal clear lectures that are insightful and help clarify what's happening in the books. He is entertaining and definitely the best lecturer I've had. He has the TAs grade papers hard at first, but then get easier as the semester goes on. Final was incredibly easy. Attendance mandatory. Once again, GREAT prof.

Prof Z is AWESOME! He is so passionate about the readings and his lectures that it makes YOU passionate about it. He's funny and quirky but the papers are tough! He does tell you exactly what he is looking for though. I liked that the percentage of each paper goes up with each paper, 1st starting at 15%, second 20%... etc) so u have time to adjust

Prof Zimmerman is great. His lectures are funny, entertaining, and engaging and he genuinely cares about his students. The texts are alright, be prepared to endure some readings that you don't necessarily like. Essays are graded hard, but go to office hours and get help and you'll do just fine. Study for the final and it's a grade-booster.

He is over energetic and spends the first 5 minutes of every class taking the attendance of a few students (boos those not there and applauds those there), asking about weekends etc. He thinks his analyses are insightful and complicated, but 90% of his comments are obvious from readings. The books are interesting, but he makes the class boring.

Hands down best professor I've had in college so far. He is hilarious and lectures are always entertaining. I definitely recommend taking a class of his!

It is an interesting class, but it is impossible to get an A, which is what Prof Zimmerman tells you in the first lecture. Papers are graded very strictly and must be done exactly the way he wants them written. He is very arrogant man, but he does present interesting lectures. If you need to keep a good GPA, stay away from this class.

This guy ruined English for me. I was thinking about it as a major until I took this class. You read a bunch of bad books and then listen to him try to determine the meaning of life from them. Grade is mostly determined by papers and I was never really sure what he wanted us to write about. Easy C, impossible A

He is an alright professor. Very passionate about his work but something about him just doesn't sit well with me. He can be entertaining at times and boring at others. I think it's stupid of him to require attenance and that people can't surf the web on their computers. We are not children, we can take care of ourselves!

One of the best professors I've ever had. He may come off as arrogant to some, but I never noticed it. He knows SO MUCH about every book. If you aren't an English major I highly recommend this class because it's not too hard, but you'll learn so much. He's a cool guy and always kept the class interesting. I never skipped!

Worst professor ever. He seems friendly and interesting for the first three weeks and then you realize how much he repeats himself and how self-obsessed he is. Every interpretation he has is the "right" one. Grades are all determined by TA's. And the grading scale is needlessly difficult. He's in love with himself, don't take this class!

Good Prof. Does everything he can to keep lectures entertaining. Class can get a bit boring at times. 3 papers and a final for the grade. Just make sure you take notes in lectures and the final is cake.

Very entertaining lecturer! Take at least one of his classes before graduating! He made me look at literature in a different way. He makes songs about the readings and sings with a guitar sometimes. My TA wasn't the greatest but I think the papers were tough for some because of the urge to write summaries. I will admit the final was rather long.

Comes off arrogantly a lot and tends to treat class like he's teaching middle school. Attendance is mandatory even though grades depend on the TA. However, he seems to care about getting to know students and is available for and helpful in office hours. The essays are not fun to write unless you love literary analysis and the final is way too long.

Incredibly arrogant. Indoctrinates you with his views of literary works and leaves no room for analysis. Acts as if his word is the most important thing ever. Calls attendance during lecture, docks letter grades more missing discussions. Grade depends completely on TA, some leave terrible comments and are completely average writers themselves.

He rambles and overanalyzes every book. this class is much harder than an intro level class should be. Seems like a nice guy, but the lectures are horribly boring, despite his enthusiasm. Every lecture has the same feel to it.

He is an awesome professor who really has a passion for literature. He makes books seem very interesting. I will never look at literature the same way ever again. Oh yeah, he makes up songs and brings in a guitar and sings!!!

he is very conceited about himself in every lecture and believes that everything he talks about and does should be the most important thing in your life. too difficult for an intro level class and not realistic for grading

Just couldn't get past his ego. He's a real life version of Harry Potter's Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. He knows how to give an enthusiastic lecture, but he also knows how to make the lecture all about him.

to be fair, this guy is obviously passionate about his subject. but other than that, there was nothing to like. he's arrogant, he rambles, and worst of all, he takes attendance. all grading depends on the TA, but the standards tend to be way too high for an intro level course. easy C, impossible A.

Fantastic professor. Often accused of being a bit conceited. He is a bit full of himself, but is still very inticing. Makes you dig deep into the text without killing it. I would love to take a class with him again.

Prof. Zimmerman is very passionate but I found him extremely arrogant. I don't think I would take a class from him again.

Zimmerman is definitely an entertainer. Definitely one of the most lively, engaging profs on campus. Make sure you show up to lecture though-he calls out random names for attendance every session.

If you're looking for a course you'll never forget, take one with this guy. A semester with him will do wonders for your writing, and you'll never be bored. He's basically the [Zimmer]man.

Great teacher, very interesting lectures. Would definitely recommend the class if you want an english class, because he is one of the best english professors on campus. He also plays guitar and sings during lecture! downside is your grade depends on your TA and not him, so the quality of this class may depend on your ta. would reccomend

Very good class. Books were really interesting, kept lectures interesting also. Grade was basically decided by TA though, but overall not a difficult class.

Zimmerman was a good professor. I find that English can be a bit dry and only took his class for my lit credits, and I'm very glad I got him as a Professor. Your grade will depend on your TA. Read the books, go to lectures, and get help on your papers -- easy A.

Fantastic professor. Incredible insight. Keeps students attention well. Trys to keep the class involved even in a lecture of 200+. Funny and clearly very intelligent. Makes even the most boring material interesting. Not exactly an easy course, but well worth it.

Pretty damn awesome teacher.

If you got a bad grade from him then you will obviously hate him. He is an extremely difficult professor and his standards for his students are impossibly high. That being said I am a significantly better writer after taking a class with him. Hands down he has been the best English professor I've had at UW-Madison.

Professor Zimmerman is completely awesome. He makes the class really fun, cracking jokes and singing/playing guitar for us. I definitely recommend taking one of his classes!

Really loves teaching. Spends a lot of time putting thought into his lectures. Sometimes, he's a little too happy, which can be annoying if you have an 8:50 lecture with him. Mandatory attendance is annoying. And he sends out an excessive amount of emails that really aren't that necessary to read. I believe that he digs too deeply into his points.

I took intro modern lit with him during the 3 week interim session at the beginning of summer. This man is a caring, thoughtful, and passionate professor. His articulation and diction will help you gain "traction" (to use his favorite word) as a speaker and writer of english. He also wrote a song based on one of the books! nerdy but awesome

Awesome professor who knows literature and does a fantastic job displaying overarching class themes. Overall a great class and great professor

He is an ok teacher

I once sent him an email asking for help on an essay and he sent back a detailed full page analysis of what I had so far within a few hours. GREAT professor. One of the reasons I decided to major in English.

Pompous. Forces a lot of the connections he makes within the literature. Over analyzes to the point where the books lose any personal meaning to the reader. Has very high expectations for papers... too high for an intro lit class. Attendance is a big deal. I was told the only way I was excused from class was if i was dying or if someone i knew died

He is obnoxious and arrogant. WAY overanalzes some really obvious points, but that is his job as an English professor. Books were all really depressing and dark. Lecture is boring, but required. If you are only taking it to fulfill a requirement choose a different lit class.

Awesome prof. Very excited. Teaches you EXACTLY how to write your essays and the essays werent bad. final exam was hard

I didn't like any of the books he picked, but at least you can see a theme recurring through them, which makes it easier to write essays. He never said anything in lecture that I couldn't figure out myself. Lecture is mandatory, but he is enthusiastic and it will help with the final. Definitely need to read all texts.

This is an awesome course. The literature is engaging and professor Z. is a great instructor. He is very enthusiastic about his work and tries to get the class engaged as much as possible in lecture. The papers are not difficult, but they do improve writing skills greatly.

awesome professor

The class is engaging enough but it's pretty apparent halfway through the semester that he repeats himself...A LOT. If random attendance wasn't being taken, I wouldn't have come to half of the lectures. Discussions range from good to torturous depending on your TA.

Great professor, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. He is very engaging and encourages students to participate even in the large lecture hall. Tries to make it feel like a small seminar, and if you're in the front it works. Highly recommend, whether an english major or not

Zimmerman is an excellent professor. He claims to do 10 hours of prep for each lecture, and it shows - his lectures are interesting and engaging. He is also pretty approachable, even if you don't have a specific question. At some point we got into a conversation about interpreting Radiohead lyrics. It was pretty awesome.

the best professor i have had at the UW so far

His lectures were pretty boring, but they cleared much of the confusing material up. Sections are useless, but mandatory. Its an easy class to slack off in if you're a skilled writer. Work hard on your papers, and you should do fine. TA's do all of the grading

The Tricky thing about the papers is that you are required to write on things that he DOESN'T lecture on. Don't get tricked into not taking notes, as your notes will come back to help you immensely in studying for the final. Very enthusiastic. Random attendance makes it necessary to attend.

Good professor. Very enthusiastic. Funny and interesting. Grading is hard and done entirely by TA's. The essays assigned were difficult. The attendance policy is annoying because he calls out like 5 names every class. Good singer also... he likes to play songs during class.

This guy has been my favorite teacher so far, but he is extremely difficult in his grading. Be prepared to invest the majority of your time in the class he teaches.

Zimmerman's a great professor. He takes random attendance, so lecture is mandatory. He gives good insight into the works you read. Make sure you TAKE NOTES during lecture, they'll help you a ton on the final. The key is to get a good TA, b/c the TA's grade everything. Tough grading on papers, but show improvement and you'll be fine.

Awesome english professor! Really interesting lectures that made me see the books differently. I also got really lucky with my TA which can make or break the class since the professor just lectures while the TA grades everything! But I really enjoyed his class...the downfall is that attendance is mandatory and he takes random attendance!

An ok professor. Lectures are moderatley interesting and he knows what he's talking about. Takes random attendance probably cause literature lectures are kind of pointless and nobody would go if he didn't. Grades way to hard considering he teaches as if no one knows how to write a paragraph.

overall good professor, repeated himself a lot which got a little bit old after a while, always had good readings of texts.

I really have no complaints about this guy. He's slightly arrogant which can get annoying, but overall, he makes his expectations very clear at the beginning. 3 papers and a final (for which he gives you a clear prep sheet). Overall, a good prof.

He's a great professor who is down to earth. The essays sucked and he over-analyzed everything but that's his job (being an english professor).

A good professor but he takes random attendance and tries to emphasize a smaller class size way to much. He gets into the material and tries his best to get everyone involved. Most of the time interesting but go to lecture/discussion.

Aggravatingly disingenuous. INCREDIBLY self infatuated. Really needs to shut up about sitting close. Deceptively approachable: will hiss about "inappropriateness" if you even politely call him out on something.

Self-absorbed

Really loves the course material, but the difficulty of the course lies entirely upon which TA you get. If he hadn't taken lecture attendance I could have skipped each lecture and done equally as well.

A nice, friendly guy, but I have to admit I didn't really know what he was talking about. I think he should have become a chem or math professor instead. I don't understand how he can devote his life to such a dull subject. The class is pretty much pointless if you don't enjoy trying to find hidden meaning in literature.

Lectures were interesting. He really gets into his books and if you like/appreciate literature he'd be a great professor for you. Good for freshmen too because he does really TEACH.

His lectures are enjoyable.

He is a really nice professor, super friendly and passionate. He taught me so much about how to read a piece of literature and how much you can look into something. I DEFINITELY recomend him, although I don't know if I would take two semesters with him....

Really passionate and entertaining.