I was thinking this while reading The Canterbury Tales, which isn’t exactly the oldest I’ve read (I think that goes to Homer)
But The Canterbury Tales is just so delightful! Getting into the flow of the rhyming prose is very fun to read (I’ve just been reading the Penguin Classics Coghill translation which is fantastic)
I’ve already watched the Pasolini adaptation but I’m definitely going to revisit once I finish the book.
I really enjoyed Don Quixote! It’s a lengthy book but there were some genuinely hilarious scenes. I couldn’t believe how old it was - it felt quite modern.
Not that old (relatively speaking) but the Count of Monte Cristo is excellent. Such a grand and incredible adventure. Quite possibly my favourite book of all time.
Did you read it in Spanish or a modern translation - that might have helped?
It was a recent translation, but it’s more the scenes themselves and certain ‘meta’ parts of the story that felt quite modern.