I was recommended this book by a friend. I think the reason why it's considered a classic is that a fair bit of thought seems to have gone into it and perhaps because it's written by a famous author. I don't really like the prose, I don't like the story, and the characters are largely caricatures and unrelatable. It does, however, provide lots of entertainment, particularly if you're interested in the period and don't mind the obsolete language, but all in all it falls short of my expectations.