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.

  • Kayzels@lemmy.fmhy.ml
    2·
    1 year ago

    It would have to be The Iliad. I don’t really go for classics, but I was curious. It was the translation they have on Gutenberg, which wasn’t bad. I have yet to read The Odyssey, though.

    • grizuhly@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I think I preferred The Iliad to The Odyssey but I really liked them both. The Odyssey was definitely more fantastical whereas The Iliad felt more epic and thrilling.

  • melonpunk@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    Dunno if you’d count it as a book but the Epic of Gilgamesh is one of my all time favorite stories that I regularly go back to. Also, predates Homer by a long shot.

  • Knoll0114@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    Probably something by Jane Austen? Actually technically Shakespeare but that was for school so it doesn’t really count.

  • Wren 🪐@lemmy.ml
    1·
    1 year ago

    Not the oldest I’ve read, but the oldest I’ve properly enjoyed is Jane Eyre (and it happens to be my fave of all time too)

  • OmegaMouse@feddit.uk
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.