THIS IS A PROVISIONAL SYLLABUS FOR SPRING 2026.
See also: a typical week in the life of a RMST 202 student.
Mon/Wed, 11am-12:30pm, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (IBLC), Room 182
Syllabus subject to change, if we are going more quickly or slowly than planned.
Please note that you will not be required to read all these books. Compulsory weeks are in bold.
Blog posts are due Sunday nights (by 11:59pm); blog comments are due Wednesday nights (by 11:59pm).
week 1 (Jan 5 and 7): Introductions: “Inventing Romance Studies”
week 2 (Jan 12 and 14): Marcel Proust, “Combray” (France, 1913)
January 14: Contract due (find it here [PDF])
week 3 (Jan 19 and 21):
Jan 19: Roberto Arlt, Mad Toy (Argentina, 1926) [TA: ]
Jan 21: André Breton, Nadja (France, 1928) [TA: ]
week 4 (Jan 26 and 28): María Luisa Bombal, The Shrouded Woman (Chile, 1938)
week 5 (Feb 2 and 4):
Feb 2: Alberto Moravia, Agostino (Italy, 1944) [TA: ]
Feb 4: Carmen Laforet, Nada (Spain, 1945) [TA: ]
week 6 (Feb 9 and 11):
Feb 9: Joseph Zobel, Black Shack Alley (Martinique, 1950) [TA: ]
Feb 11: José María Arguedas, Deep Rivers (Peru, 1958) [TA: ]
February 13: Last date to make changes to your contract
February 13: Midterm exam (take-home)
February 16 and 18: No class, midterm break
week 7 (Feb 23 and 25): Mercè Rodoreda, The Time of the Doves (Catalonia, 1962)
week 8 (Mar 2 and 4):
Mar 2: Clarice Lispector, The Hour of the Star (Brazil, 1977) [TA: ]
Mar 4: Italo Calvino, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler (Italy, 1979) [TA: ]
week 9 (Mar 9 and 11):
Mar 9: Marguerite Duras, The Lover (France, 1984) [TA: ]
Mar 11: Norman Manea, The Trenchcoat (Romania, 1989) [TA: ]
week 10 (Mar 16 and 18): Ricardo Piglia, Money to Burn (Argentina, 1997)
week 11 (Mar 23 and 25):
Mar 23: Javier Cercas, Soldiers of Salamis (Spain, 2001) [TA: ]
Mar 25: José Eduardo Agualusa, The Book of Chameleons (Angola, 2004) [TA: ]
week 12 (Mar 30 and Apr 1):
Mar 30: Valeria Luiselli, Faces in the Crowd (Mexico, 2011) [TA: ]
Apr 1: Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend (Italy, 2011) [TA: ]
week 13 (Apr 6 and 8):
Apr 6: Constance Debré, Love Me Tender (France, 2020) / Djaili Amadou Amal, The Impatient (Cameroon, 2020)
Apr 8: Conclusions: “A World of Difference”
Date/time/location TBA: Final exam
