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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction by University of Virginia

4.6
stars
573 ratings

About the Course

A unique and exciting introduction to the genre and craft of historical fiction, for curious students, aspiring authors--anyone with a passion for the past. Read classics of the genre, encounter bestselling writers of historical fiction, and discover your own historical archive while interacting with a global community of interested readers....

Top reviews

JC

Sep 16, 2020

I'm not sure why I took this course. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed all the books and the interaction with authors. This was a way to experience literature without writting 5 papers on a book.

AB

Oct 4, 2020

Too good! The instructor was way too awesome. I am not from Arts or Literature background yet understood everything easily. The author interactions were a really good learning experience

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26 - 50 of 135 Reviews for Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction

By Anastasia K

Mar 4, 2016

Amazing course! I haven't expected it to be so fascinating and interesting! I've learned not only about the genre itself, but also about so many books I can't wait to read! The ability to hear the authors and to learn their perspective on both on their own work and on the historical fiction itself is priceless!

Thank you for this opportunity!

By Kendall R

Jul 9, 2023

This course is well-rounded and engaging. It is highly informational and captivating with the focus areas of multiple origins. The class dicussion with novelist Jane Alison was particularly enchanting. Professor Holsinger is incredibly knowledgeable and is one of the better educators that I have experienced in several years. Excellent work!

By İLYAS K

Sep 6, 2022

This course is a great opportunity for literature students. I am studying at English Language and Literature department and thanks to this course I understand my Modern and Post Modern Literature lectures way better. Moreover thanks to the readings I even found myself a subject to study in terms of comparative literature.

By Kristen M

Mar 14, 2017

This was a fantastic class. I learned a lot about writing historical fiction, and I was able to add several books to my already teetering TBR pile. Dr. Holsinger was an interesting professor and obviously loves the material. I would recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in history or historical fiction.

By Mark S

Nov 29, 2022

There is a wealth of material available. The course is intellectually challenging and I really appreciate the access to authors who are writers of historical fiction who talk about their craft. The course is well structured, I feel like I have learned from every element included, and that there were no redundancies.

By Marianne P

Jan 10, 2018

Great class! I particularly enjoyed the author's talks. Hearing about the writing process was fascinating. I learned so much about the evolution of the historical fiction genre, which is my personal favorite. More books have been added to my lengthy list of books that Must Be Read.

By Anshika M

Jun 12, 2021

being my first coarse, it was extremely interesting. I got so many new perspectives of looking at works of writing now. I'd definately recommend it to anyone who loves history or english. Its very easy to understand and is also very intriguing at the same time.

By Μαρία Β

Nov 28, 2022

It was the first time I ever attended some course that had to do with literature. I liked that a lot of writers were invited and that the students had the opportunity to ask questions in lots of the meetings, as well as the abundance of the material provided.

By Imandi S A R

Oct 25, 2022

The course was wonderful, I cannot take that away from it. Nevertheless, given the title, I thought it was going to probe into medievalism and the black death and its influence on literature. I am thankful for the course, though, for how informative it is.

By Ilaria

Sep 13, 2015

I am about the end of the course and it was an amazing journey, I will slowly finish the rest of the lessons in the future as I wanted to watch the conversations and dialogues with the authors after having read the books, to better appreciate them.

By Regina Z G

Feb 4, 2021

Muy variado y amplio, súper interesante y aporta mucho a la visión general que pueda tener uno sobre la historia universal y su forma de verla. Se analizan obras muy interesantes (mi lista de libros pendientes creció bastante con este curso).

By Nisa R

Oct 8, 2019

wonderful and interesting course, excited and engaging instructor and awesome guest speakers. would seriously recommend this course to anyone passionate about historical fiction or just mildly interested. there's something for everybody

By Nicole P

May 17, 2016

I rate it 5 stars because I love this course, and I haven't even started yet!! I'm excited for the video with Katherine Howe and Matthew Pearl, I have both of their books (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane) and (The Dante Club) :)

By Peter C

Oct 10, 2016

This was a carefully planned course that was very well taught and thoroughly enjoyable to study. I learned a great deal about historical fiction and it inspired me to carry on studying the genre once I had completed the course.

By Tasneem H A

Feb 2, 2021

I love literature and as a Literature student, I have genuinely enjoyed the topics discussed within the classes. It has given me a new perspective of how historical fiction is more than just a reflection of the past.

By Nancy H

May 30, 2016

Fantastic course with a enthusiastic, personable professor. It was fun and informative to hear the different viewpoints of the diverse authors as well as the relevant questions from the students in the seminar.

By Paulette R

Apr 3, 2020

I have learned a lot about historical fiction in english novels, the seminars with the authors were excellent. I am argentinian and it has broaden my spectrum about writing and how to do it.

By Alejandra S

May 22, 2020

Excellent! I particularly appreciated the place given to women, non-USA and Black writers. The teacher is engaging and clear and the guest speakers were remarkable. Thank you!

By Art E

Aug 31, 2022

Exceptional lead instructor and guest speakers. Added tremendously to my knowledge of the genre, even though I am an author of historical fiction with a PhD in History.

By Trish S

Apr 16, 2023

Excellent and informative information. The videos were clear and concise. The transcripts were extremely important and the technique for note taking very helpful.

By Carlen H

Dec 28, 2017

Learned so much, I might take this course again! It prompted me to read several books I had not read before as well as learn much about my own writing. Thanks!

By Nivedita G

Jun 16, 2021

Insightful. well-structured course. I particularly liked all the speakers and of course, it is always fun to delve deeper into historical fiction.

By Naiara G C C

Mar 23, 2021

I learned so very much in this course. The seminars with authors are a highlight and book recommendations are great if you like the genre.

By Jennifer D

Oct 21, 2017

I actually loved this course!!

I also loved how many female writers and their novels were included in the course! Such a refreshing change.

By SRIJIT R

May 15, 2021

Wonderful Course. I'm highly impressed by doing the first class. Professor is highly qualified and have so much knowledge in his subject.