The Illiad

For the classic written before 1800, I chose Homer's Illiad.  It took me a bit to get used to the rhythm of the poetry, but once I did, it was a great read.

A couple of things struck me about the book.  First, it was somewhat surreal to think about reading the oldest known work of western literature (commonly dated to the 8th century BC).  Then, if you think about the age of the story (which predates Homer's writing), it's amazing to think about how the story of Achilles, Agamemnon, and Trojan War has remained a captivating tale throughout time (most recently with Brad Pitt starting as Achilles).

In terms of the language, one thing that confused me was the mix of Roman and Greek mythological names.  For instance, the translation I read used Jove instead of Zeus; Ulysses instead of Odysseus; etc.  Some were consistent (I think Jove was used throughout), but others such as Odysseus and Apollo were a mix and match between Greek and Roman names.  I don't know if this is from Homer or a result of all the translations through the ages.