Good lecturer, but totally unfair final exam!

You'll never think the same way again. Love him

egotistical maniac, but GREAT teacher

autocratic egoist, be sure to take at least one class with this guy

Has a short man complex.

Despite ego, best English prof at McGill, inspired me to do graduate studies

likes to categorize things, but is a v. self-aware teacher.Good in small classes

Rob rox. Best in small classes, very cool. Got an A!

Very good lecturer and very knowledged in his topic

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He's Mr. CanLit... knows his the work inside and out, quite literally.

Boys you are at a disadvantage, but you'll find he's fair enough. Just write what he wants to read.

Three words: CRAZY, SEXY, COOL.

I really enjoyed his class. Sure, his voice can be boring but he's got some really decent ideas - and I've found him to be really into input - and especially questions during his lectures! I'd take the class again for sure.

He is easily one of the best profs at McGill. Down to earth, provocative, prying, and a real performer: should be hosting his own talk show (in spare time).

certainly a good intro teacher (canlit). clear, goes over things many times, very easy but not stupid-like.

Excellent teacher... though kind of cold/unhelpful as a person...

You either love him, or hate him. I really enjoyed his class, he is an interesting lecturer, very funny in a dry sort of way. An old hippie, really. He loves literature, and if you can grasp this, you will love it too. Overall, a good prof.

I really enjoyed his class. He's very knowledgeable and a great lecturer. Very entertaining.

his lectures are so provocative and have warped the way i look at language and history. he's very much in love with himself, but he really knows his stuff and always encourages questions

Awesome. Totally committed to Canadian Literature.

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What a cool guy. High on entertainment value, and really into teaching... sometimes strays from the readings, but has a lot of great things to say.

I learned a lot about academic writing from him. I thought he was a bit too arogant, but a good prof.

i've learned so much from him. yeah, he can be an arrogant ****, but he has allowed me to question my entire literary framework and incorporate class material into personal thought

not the nicest guy but a fanatastic teacher

yep. good.

he's a great prof, really makes you question literature, but one class with him is enough! if you've taken one course with him, you've taken them all

ego ego ego

He's so brilliant, but he makes you feel like an idiot if you say something in class that doesn't match his opinion and that you don't have theory to back up...he called one girl a colonizer...but he's totally cutting-edge and is a fantastic resource.

I like Professor Lecker---I think he's totally brilliant and I think the classes I have taken with him have been great. There may be something to this attractive female preference of his, but seriously, it doesn't effect his marking or anything.

I can believe all the "hot girl" claims but, I never saw anything like that. He's obsessed with his subject and he has high expectations for his students. If you do have a different opinion than he you'd better be able to back it up and be persuasive. Taken 3 of his classes. Creepy maybe, but great!

Lecker is a prof that you will resist. He genuinely wants you to learn and care as much about this stuff as he does. He tries to get everyone angry in the class deliberately to start discussion and get people caring and thus learning. Marking is easier because that's not the point, people.

He's devoted to his subject matter, not the appearance of his female students; any claims that undermine him in that regard are complete nonsense. He will rid you of any apathy and change the way you view literature, and make you laugh at the same time.

I had a good time in this class, I learned a lot, and my thinking and writing improved immeasurably---I owe this entirely to the teaching methods of the excellent professor.

It's quite obvious that those of you making these negative comments about the prof are undergrads. This is my third degree- my first was in lit- and, trust me, he isn't that bad compared to most. But, only experience will show you this. Being critical doesn't mean being negative. Grow up!

For the student who called the prof "a self-enchanted jerk," what did he do/say? Almost every other lit prof at McGill makes you read their works, and love touting their awards and how esteemed they are. The only comment Lecker ever made about himself is how mediocre of a student he was in the past

great prof. i was completely uninterested in canadian lit. untill i took this class. he opened up my eyes to this great literature that i'd been missing out on. he can not at all be considered self absorbed when compared to some of the other english prof.'s at mcgill. smart,down to earth,and helpful

I don't know, he's not so bad. Some of the students in the class make me want to rip off my arm and beat them with it, but he doesn't. He's hardcore, that's for sure.

professor lecker is nice if you talk to him outside of class. he remembers your name and ****es if you don't take all the classes he offers, which is endearing. but it's easy to fall out of favor with him if you don't follow through with your chumminess.

i like prof. lecker. i think people just need to relax and not take things so seriously. come on, it's funny that he's narcissistic...no?? it's funny when he rants about stuff that has nothing to do with class. you're going to learn a lot if you do the reading-and if you take advantage of the fact that he makes you write so much.

Whether you like his quirks or not, at the end of the day, Dr. Delicious gets the job done! Brilliant professor with a wealth of information to share and a very organized and structured course. (But not afraid to take an entertaining tangent or six.)

Seriously: take both Lecker AND Trehearne. This way, you will get a balanced understanding of what is going on in the world of Canadian lit. If you just take Trehearne, you'll miss all the good postmodern stuff and if you just take Lecker, you'll go crazy (see below)!

Lecker has a unique style of teaching which may not suit everyone, but he is brilliant and provides such a honest interpretation of Can Lit. The modern focus of the class is a nice change from the classically-oriented McGill. He is funny, intelligent and makes you consider ideas in ways you never thought of before. Lots of readings but worth it!

I was afraid that he would be a strict teacher with a difficult workload and impossible expectations; I was wrong. He is realistic, funny, and keeps one's attention at all times throughout his lectures. If I can, I will gladly register for another one of his courses. Dr. Lecker, you rule, keep up the good work! You won't regret taking his class!

Professor Lecker is one of the few teachers at mcgill who actually cares what people think. He makes outrageous comments in class to stimulate conversation and get debate going. Moreover, few professors at mcgill or anywhere know nearly as much about can lit as he does. Great professor. Really.

If you want to learn CanLit, Professor Lecker is the person to learn it from. He will challenge you to think, read, and write in new ways, which some students may call "hard" or "mean," but as Lecker himself says, you can't produce quality without hard work. Truly one of the best professors McGill has to offer.

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Challenges you in a very real way. If he thinks you're wrong/full of it, he tells you. Don't like that? Don't take his class. That said, he is open to and does explore many angles concerning Can Lit. Arrogant? Bitter? I don't know if these comments should refer to him or to students who probably didn't like their grade. Simply: he's challenging.

I had zero interest in Canadian Poetry going into the class, but Professor Lecker's class was the best I've taken at McGill. The class is hard - you have to write a lot, but there are no exams or long form papers, so it doesn't feel as bad. He really encourages real discussion in the class, which is unfortunately rare at McGill.

Prof. Lecker changed my life perspective, made me a better writer, and helped me find a career: all in one course. I found him to be a fascinating lecturer - although the course I took with him was a conference of 20, not a lecture. He was always very interested in his students and visiting him at office hours is great. He is challenging & awesome.

people that dont like Lecker do not apply themselves in class. He is BEYOND helpful - always encourages students to see him in office hours. He encourages participation which makes the class more interesting. Take a class with him. Great prof.

He specifically sets up the assignments to make everyon arrive in class having done the readings, and to help people keep up and do well. It was tough having a mini paper due twice a week, but then we got to revise them and submit the month's worth all together for the grade. No midterm or final. He encourages discussion, and coming to his office.

Has a true passion for Canadian Literature, and is one of the best professors to study under if you wish to learn more in that field. He gets you into a routine of writing constantly which is tough at times, but gets you engaged. A little intimidating to speak in front of sometimes in the lectures, but there are conferences and a discussion board.

Lecker is awesome. Engage with him. Get to know him. Don't get so defensive about the supposed "ego" that everyone on here is talking about, and just let him open your eyes a little - you might like what you see, you might not, but either way, taking his class is essential for learning how to talk about art.

I liked Lecker. His lectures were very interesting and depending on your TA, the conferences can really help clarify things if need. He has really insightful things to say about what we read, he's very knowledgeable about the content&the authors and encourages people to give their own ideas in class. Have the readings done before class, its a must!

At first I almost dropped the class because Lecker seemed so tough but after the first week this became one of my favorite classes. There's work to do for every class but mostly just a few short poems. Wanna get a good grade? Participate. That's it people. Raise your hand, say things and write in the discussion. Don't half ass and pass

Honestly, as a Professor he is good, however he has a grading criteria that makes it hard to do well (which is the class' major downfall). Not a lot of reading (very short). Not too many assignments. He is very interested in what he is teaching (and this made me feel enthused). Learns students individually too.

As one of my first ever university courses, ENGL229 was a bit of a rude awakening. Prof Lecker is eloquent and knowledgeable as a lecturer but not super clear in terms of a grader. He gives out As very seldom and even admitted that there's no clear rubric for how to get one. This was my one criticism. Overall, a challenging and engaging class.

Prof Lecker adapted very well to the online format and put effort into engaging with the students. zoom attendance and participation counted for 40%, so you could bump up your mark easily by just contributing to discussions. I am not an English major but I found it very interesting. Prof has met your fav authors and will tell you all about them.

Interesting lectures, full of stories about the authors (many of whom he knows personally). Grading's a bit subjective; it's hard to get a solid grasp on the criteria from the rubric, but work with the feedback he and the TA give you, and you'll do alright. DO YOUR READINGS!!! They're absolutely essential and he rewards good participation/questions

Prof Lecker has lots of good stories and heavily encourages participation, so if you talk and engage, you'll do well. He is one to counter your arguments, but I just saw it as a way to strengthen our perspectives on the readings. Not easy, but not too hard if you put in the work.

An exceptional professor -- engaging, approachable, the material covered was compelling and he treats his students with the utmost respect. His class felt like a community where everyone was growing together. Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this course and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in literature/Canada.

I am so confused by the amount of bad reviews for this prof. He is hands down the best prof in the English department, yes he will challenge you but he is not belittling or making fun of you he is making you a better writer and think more critically about the material. He will speak to you as an equal and genuinely just wants people to improve.

Amazing professor, and gem of a human being. I feel incredibly lucky to have taken Alice Munro this past semester. Great at facilitating discussion, and very encouraging. Absolute goat!

Robert Lecker will make you a better writer! Get ready to submit a lot of essays (10+) and receive in-depth feedback on each one of them. I highly recommend taking a class with Lecker-- you will read some pretty incredible works, get comfortable writing essays, and have interesting and challenging classroom discussions.

Previous reviews scared me but Lecker ended up being my favourite professor! He's so knowledgeable and I always looked forward to this course. Reading was manageable (one author per lecture). Don't work too hard on the online discussion posts due for every lecture, they can be short. Two in-class essays that were honestly fun. Recommended!

Most of what students say is true. He's brilliant, and what he teaches is fascinating. But like most brilliant people, he can be a eccentric, and if you're disrespectful to him, move aside. Enjoy the material, the amazing lectures, the tough lessons about academic writing, the humour. Don't confuse him with a buddy. He has a lot of experience.

Loved this prof! I was intimated for the first month because he appears cold but his passion for literature truly shows. We are required 1-3 poems/class, which is very reasonable. There is a required discussion post for every class. If you're present, you can definitely get a good grade! Uses slides + classes very interactive. Get ready to talk!

One of the most important classes I've taken in my degree. Lecker is intimidating at first, and he carries strong opinions on texts, but you will learn whether you like it or not. Not a tough marker either imo. Don't let the bad reviews scare you. If talking in class is a dealbreaker he isn't for you, as he will cold call.

My favourite professor. He is the most caring, authentic, and candid prof you will meet. He doesn't sugar coat and helps prepare you for life post grad. Would love to meet him for a beer.

Not for snowflakes, this prof. If you need trigger warnings and security blankets, move right on. If you want to really learn something, pull up your ankle socks, wipe your snot, pull yourself together, stop whining, read, sit, take notes; you might actually get a lot out of his course. He doesn't deserve the bad reviews--grow up.