I am currently focusing on reading some of the classics and am almost finished wish The Odyssey by Homer. I was somewhat surprised by how easy or enjoyable this book is to read because it was written around 750 BC. After my other experience with other books that were not written recently, I was expecting the style of writing to be different than what someone from this century is accustom to. For example I had to stop reading Don Quixote which was written around 1600 because it had become a chore to read. It was not enjoyable due to the writing style or syntax used and I just could not get into it.

Are these differences due to the translations of these books into English? Does the date of translation or the person doing the translation have a large impact on how the book reads? If the same person that translated the Odyssey were to translate Don Quixote would it be more enjoyable to read?