A little obsessed with post-modernism for my taste.

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Kevin ****in rules! I can say without hyperbole that he changed my life. (Get your minds out of the gutter). The best prof I've ever had.

Very interesting course. Alot of philosophy. Very helpful during office hours.

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Although he's kind of difficult and expects a lot, the class is great as long as you do the readings. And a philosophy class would not hurt!!

Fantastic. Passionate about what he does. Influential and driven.

Great class, interesting teacher. High expectations.

one of my favourite professors

You guys who think he's hard or hate him must be smoking crack. He's awesome, and far more brilliant than most of you can ever aspire to be.

Prof. Gildea is really funny and a great lecturer despite his notorious digressions and philosophical asides. He has high expectations and refuses to give anyone anything above an A- so watch out for your GPAs

Very enthusiastic. His philosophical muse is insightful and brought a new meaning to reading literature and watching movies.

inspirational

Loved Kevin. As a person and as a professor, he is awesome all the way around.

Terrific lecturer and keeps the entire period he is teaching exciting. Fair evaluator.

very smart and seems like a nice guy, but man pick a topic and run with it, hes all over the place in his lectures

Took the classes over ITV. Interesting, fresh take on what is normally some very dry literature. Liked intro to other fields I had not taken, especially literary theory. Helpful, fair marker and a pleasure to talk to. Too bad he doesn't teach more classes

thing about gildea... is that he DOESN'T actually know his stuff. mixes up kant and hegel... only ever read 'the foucault reader'... has an m.a. and that's it. instructor level I if i'm not wrong. all talk.

This man is absolutely gorgeous and extremely intelligent as well.

very interesting classes. fun to learn from, introduces students to a great deal of film and literature. inspiring. not a difficult course if you enjoy literary discussion and argument. exams are fair, no surprises.

Kevin Gildea ROCKS... he has the most brilliant mind in the department. His class is interesting, the works studied are amazing... all around GREAT professor. Very helpful and creative!

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Very interesting, my favourite class, but his marking doesn't do much for the average. So take your pick: keep your scholarship or take a course that will change the way you think about literature and the world.

Extremely helpful and friendly!He definitely knows his stuff.Difficult marker but fair.He gets excited over some things and strays from topic making it hard to take notes.I recommend him as an ITV prof because i know i wouldn't be able to keep up in class

The best prof I've had thus far, in any area. Excellent at getting at the core of the material, and why it should matter so much to the students. His expectations may be high, but you'll do well if you speak his language. Talk to him.

Stone cold fox. And smart as blazes. Excellent professor. To me, ITV was more like "Kevin Does English" Hubba hubba. Makes Canadian literature all wet and juicy.

Took his course when he was on vacation in BC. Actually tries to teach (unlike some other profs) but yeah...he's way into philosophy. If you like Lacan you'll like Gildea. Still haven't gotten my final marks back tho....

Brilliant teacher. Very hard marker, but worth the time and effort. What he teaches will make all your other social science courses make sense.

what a cutie!! hes so intelligent and really has a passion for a subject. by far the best prof ive had so far. will definetely be taking more of his classes. hes just so dreamy!!(and brilliant)

He's very passionate about literature and philosophy. He's a tough marker,but fair.If you watch his lectures, he highlights very clearly what will be on the exam- they are fair. Talk to him- he will help you. I enjoyed the literature bc of his passion.

Helpful hint: Watch lectures on ITV, and only watch the parts where he's standing behind the lectern. Once he's in front of it, he's rambling, and you won't be any worse off in life for skipping past.

gildea is awesome. he's funny and his lectures are all discussion. he is a really really good prof, he makes you interested. best class i ever took. and the books he picked were awesome too. all round great class.

Excellent lecturer, he really gets his points across and makes you think. He had excellent novel choices and though he is a hard marker but the ideas he presents in class are worth the lowered GPA

great teacher

Has some interesting ideas and is obviously passionate about the material. Very helpful during office hours; not so much through e-mail. Brings a strong left-wing slant to his lectures and is often very PC. Looks exactly like Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory!

Im not a fan of the bulk of his lit selections (European post modernists) but he was the best lit prof I had at Carleton (I was a lit major). Kevin has the passion and he gets on some good ideas. He was very responsive to my input considering I studied his course while in the US.

If you have a single creative and original idea in your head and are able to explain your thought process and how it relates, even remotely, to course material or the texts you are golden. Also, a very cool and extremely helpful guy.

Enthusiactic and very knowlegeable. A great instructor!

Enjoyed the course and learned a great deal. Very informative.

An informative and fun class. He really sparked my interest in Canadian fiction and how it is tied to Canadian ideologies and various philosophical viewpoints. I wish he taught 3rd and 4th year, because I'd love to take another class with him! He's quite a picky marker though.

it was fun

V. interesting. Learned a lot, but I found the second semester got a little old. Brutal marker but I really enjoyed his class.

Hard professor (marking wise), but challenges his students to become better writers. I have a new appreciation for Canadian Literature because of him. His lectures were never dull (very animated!),and I have formed new opinions about Canada based on his lectures.

I was very irritated at the idea of a compulsory Canadian Lit. course, but Gildea made it engaging. His enthusiasm was palpable and he was fairly clear on his expectations for the exams and essays. You have to regurgitate a little bit, of course, but then you do for every class. Suck it up!

This guy is a blast. He's the only one who makes me laugh out loud in lectures. He's interesting, well read, energetic and enjoys his job. Yes marks are tough but it's well worth the learning experience. He'll teach you how to write a good essay. I know people who had him 10 years ago that still watch him on CUTV. Take his course, he's fantastic!

Kevin is amazing human being. At the risk of hyperbole, I owe the guy my life for doing me a favour when he had absolutely no reason to at all. He's very human and sensitive to extraordinary circumstances. I know for a fact the guy risked his job to cut me, some undergrad punk, some slack so this is the least that I owe him.

I don't know about not giving marks when they are deserved, I got an A+ on both essays and exams. If you fail this course and think their is no room for thought then you're probably right, since you have no original thoughts to begin with. Kudos on sucking at school, he tells you whats on the exam TELLS YOU, flat out. THIS IS EXAM MATERIAL.

Gildea's lectures are more than interesting. Yes, he is a tough marker and expects a lot of psychobable out of your essays. The exam is fair and marked as such, the essays are tough and you need to pay attention in class. Amazing lecturer, truly!! This is a challenging course but worth the experience.

One of the best profs I have ever had. Very passionate about his work, very clear in his theories, and very helpful. Brings the pages to life! Thanks Professor Gildea! :)

professor Gildea you are my hero! Best Prof I ever had, hard marker but with good reason; we are in University.

wow, some people just can't handle it when others are more intelligent than they are, which could be the only explanation for the last couple comments. Professor Gildea is as interesting as they come!! Take advantage of this guy!Pay no attention to rubric-boy...he wasn't breast fed as a child and therefore feels cold and detached from humanity

I agree with the below comment. Most of us are in this white walled institution to show the outside world we are worth something. But a stupid measly stinking piece of paper does not untimately prove worth, life does. Einstein dropped out of highschool you idiots! Gildea is THE best, most interesting prof I have ever had. We are lucky to have him.

Prof. Gildea Kicks ASS! It's too bad that some people are so narrow minded. I think he is more interesting than many 2nd and 3rd year prof's I have had. I wish all profs were this cool. He really engages the class in the text. Highly recommended:)

Professor Gildea is an amazing Prof. After each lecture, I feel like standing up and applauding him for making everything he talks about so interesting. He can take a book, and make you love it. He is always there to help. I have never been so impressed with a Professor. Wish he was full time, because I would be the first to sign up for his classes

Essays aren't due until the last class but don't slave over them all year because you'll likely get a low mark anyways. Focus on the exams for easy marks. Gildea is undeniable a great lecturer.

Get used to seeing ambiguous comments on your essays, such as: "Explaining!" I still don't know what that means, although I thought I did until I got the second essay back. A little more feedback would be helpful. He is a great lecturer and a wonderful person to chat with about your papers. He wants, and encourages, your own ideas.

he says "you follow?" too much. in fact, once i counted it in the span of half an hour. 17 times. i kid you not. he's kind of cute, for an older guy.. anyways a little off topic, he seemed like he knew what he was talking about.

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Gildea is a genius! He was amazing to watch and I actually enjoyed watching his lectures on CUTV. Yes, he is a hard marker but he is always willing to discuss your essays with you and gives you as much time as you need. His laugh is hilarious...

Prof. Gildea is a great prof, extremely intelligent and passionate about teaching and literature. Although he is a hard marker he does mark fairly. If you want to learn about literature, society and philosophy take this class because this prof is knowledgeable and inspiring to his students. He likes ppl that want to learn which is what Uni is for.

ITV Tip: Watch when he's behind the lectern; fast forward as soon as he walks in front of it; hit play when he gets behind it again. The learning happens when he's back there.

Talk to him about your essays. His expectations are different from other profs and he marks hard based on them. I like that he tries to expose English majors to philosophical influences on literature but he takes on too much. You can't teach the history of philosphy in a 2nd year Can Lit class. More depth to his insights would be appreciated.

Great prof!

Took Can Lit and 1602 with him... If you're in English at Carleton and don't take those two classes with him, you aren't getting your money's worth.

The most enlightening prof I've ever had. Definitely worth his tough grading.

Loved the course! He introduced us to so many different ideas and theories. Apassionate teacher who really seems to care about his students.

I took 1602 and 2802 with him and I loved both so much. What a great prof, my favourite at Carleton. It's a shame he doesn't do third year because I would have liked to stay with him until I graduated. If you study and attend his lectures you will for sure do well! He's not bad to look at either!

Perhaps we should be more concerned with what we learned that the prof's attire

Fantastic professor. Extremely hard marker, but one with a real passion for his work and-- perhaps most importantly-- knowledge of when the class is getting bored and the ability to take steps to bring the class back to him. A three-hour class that rarely feels like more than 1.5 or two. Generally just a fun class on a fairly dry topic.

Excellent prof

He's one of the funnier profs on CUTV, but the class will almost definitely make your overall average lower. I received C's in this class even though I usually get above B's. He also made it seem like a major novel was going to be on the exam, and it never was. The biggest problem is probably how he expects everyone to know a lot about philosophy.

Makes sense to turn to philosophy as works discussed are highly philosophical. Truly made me UNDERSTAND the stuff and look from different angles. Kevin is amazing. And hot;)

The classes were really interesting. Fair about attendance. He included lots of different fields in his class but this also made the course a little less clear. Incredibly hard marker, hard to predict how he will judge your paper.

As others have mentioned, he is a decent lecturer. However, in my experience, he is a hard marker. Discussing your essay with him beforehand is a good idea. While he also gave a detailed lecture about the exam, some of the texts that were supposedly going to be on it never ended up being asked about. Exam is marked much more easily than the essay.

One of the most intellectually stimulating professors you'll ever encounter. Lectures are brilliantly structured, and he's got a scathing wit. Exam is easy enough, but essay marking is a bit wonky. Everyone I know went down exactly five percent as far as essay grading went. I believe this was intentional, though I can't fathom why. Great course.

My absolute favourite English prof. His lectures give literature junkies a high like no other prof. If you don't take a class with him, you're not getting your money's worth.

The best class I've had yet! The professor is enthusiastic, entertaining, intelligent and witty. You won't get bored in this class! Interesting reading material. Class participation is encouraged. You won't want to miss a single class!

An inspiring lecturer and passionate about Canadian literature, though his taste is questionable. His theories are pretty wild and almost completely disposable if held up to any scrutiny - but you're unlikely to escape a single class unchallenged.

One of the funniest proffs/ I genuinely enjoyed going to each class. Some of his theories may be questionable but they really get you thinking. He brings outside ideas into our course materials, which is cool.Only problem I had with him: in the full year course, for the final exam worth 50%, we only used materials from the 1st sem-what a waste!

Favourite uni teacher of all time!!! He taught me how to write a proper essay-yes a hard marker but will always provide help. He taught me to look at books differently by looking at them from many different disciplines. I took every single one of his classes and was happy with each and every one! FANTASTIC!!!

If you know how to write essays, dont come to class. But the prof is super funny and he swears alot, which makes it even funnier! Made the most boring class ever possible to endure. Not sure about his marking tho cuz the class was divided into 2 groups, the TA marked my essays.

Great Prof! His class was the highlight of my school week. Extremely helpful if you contribute to the lectures and come to class.

I got an A- in this class and typically I am an apathetic C/B- range student. For a quality post-secondary experience, I recommend taking a class with Prof. Gildea. If you prefer an approach to education in which no discipline ever influences that of another, and the A's come without effort or meaning, there's always Algonquin.

An absolutely wonderful professor. Changed my University experience for the better (too bad I'm in my last year). Extremely dedicated to helping his students not only succeed but take in as much as possible. Very well educated and easy to talk to at any time you need to. More helpful than 90% of profs I've had in 6yrs. TAKE HIS CLASS.

Gildea was one of the most important teachers I ever had. I found that he made me think...allowed me to question ideas & pushed me to form my own ideas. I found that those who complained about their essay marks were trying to get him to come up with a thesis, or wrote it quickly & with little effort. He knows those who try and appreciates that.

He was a pretty cool guy but a tough professor. He assumes we are all as well read as him and expects A LOT with from the essays. Make sure to get REALLY deep and analytical with the papers to do well. I tried to do so, and I still was not quite up to his standards.

Amazing! Inspiring and though provoking lectures. He picks pretty good texts and makes wonderful use of the online library reserve system (saving students hundreds of dollars). By far my favourite english professor and I have had some really great ones.

I loved this professor. He has an amazing range of knowledge. He connects political movements, biblical symbolism, ancient greek myth, a wide range of types of poetry, personal experience, literary theory, film, and many others. He's not open to much discussion, but you will never be bored in his class. He is extremely available and helpful. A+prof

Gildea is funny and lively. You can tell he's an experienced teacher and has probably seen it all, so as long as you're up for the reading and not into pulling stunts, you should pass with flying colours. Lots of reading as per usual, but he is a fair grader. Pipe up in class and he'll remember you.

One of the best profs I've had so far. Was it the easiest class? No. But I learned more about so many different topics that to simply label this an "English" class is a bit unfair. Extremely interesting class and as a professor he keeps you very engaged. I skipped a couple of classes in the first semester and I regret it!

Even though I'm not an English major, i enjoyed Gildea's class A LOT! very fun class and i learned a lot. He is a great prof!

AMAZING. His lectures were great, and it's obvious that he's incredibly passionate about what he teaches. Favourite class of first year by far!

Amazing professor, always looking to give feedback and to be the most helpful person he can be. Although he does not remember my name, he makes up for it by giving absolutely inspirational lectures.

Really passionate professor. Knows the material and desires the students to get in to it as well. Really enjoyed his candor and teaching style. Take his classes, but they aren't bird courses so be warned.

Took this as a summer class for my English Minor between third and fourth year. Professor Gildea is funny, entertaining, intelligent, and actually knows what he's talking about. If you don't know how to write, you'll learn the basics. If you already know how to write, he'll teach you how to develop stronger ideas to get an A+ essay every time.

Best prof ever he's so gem OG Kevin Inspirational

amazing guy

Best prof i've ever had. Doesn't mess around, amazing lectures etc

A great teacher who loves to share his knowledge. Hes passionate about teaching and passionate about the subject matter. If you are interested in English literature, take this course!

Overall, a solid 4/5. His lecturing style is delightful and his humour was appreciated. The only critique I have is that he failed to provide sufficient feedback on essays. Sure he corrected grammar and stylistic choices, but I often found myself wondering what I could've done to get a better mark.

He is the best professor I am yet to have. He has a great sense of humour, he's very engaging, learned, and so passionate about what he does. I'm not surprised to see that there's 150 reviews on this GOD. he marks fairly and knows when real work is handed in opposed to half-assed assignments. He's the professor you want to have a drink with.

The best professor ever. If he gets to know you, he grades better to fit your style. I recommend taking his class because he actually does care for his students. However, he cannot stand when people come in late or are on their phones for long periods of time. He is honestly like a giddy science teacher. Great guy

Kevin Gildea is a favorite of mine. He cares a lot about the material and what the class is about. He is a bit wild, tangents, loud talking, and lots of old time jokes. Show up to class, pay attention like a reasonable human, put in the effort to engage, and you'll do well.

He is the best professor I have ever had. Our lectures were three hours on a Wednesday night, but it was the best night of the week. He cares a lot and would always be willing to listen if I had to to ask him something or just wanted to chat. Somewhat of a tough grader, but if you work for it, he will give you the mark you want. An amazing prof!

Such a great professor! Very enthusiastic when he lectures, and is very helpful in regards to feedback for papers. I enjoyed his teaching so much I attended 2 of his courses.

He's a tough grader, but flexible and grades you based on your improvement. A bit rough around the edges, but good natured. Be prepared for random changes in when/where class will held. You need to be able to go with the flow. He's one of few profs who will go through your paper line in detail, though. I can't decide if I love him or hate him.

SUPEERRRR CHILL !!! He bumped up my grade, responses over email were super quick! Literally just become friends with him, and he will tell you exactly what he's looking for on papers. 10/10 recommend!