I didn't know much going into this book beyond when it was published and that it was about medieval knights. I was surprised how easy a read it was and can see how it's stood the test of time, despite being slightly dated the style of writing is simple yet descriptive. 
 
 Whilst some characters have layers some are a bit flat, the plot itself has a nice level of complexity being simple enough to follow easily without being predictable and boring. The cameos of other famous literary figures were a pleasant surprise as well.
 
 I'm not sure why the book is called Ivanhoe given he spends the vast majority of the book recovering from an injury and arguably is the person being saved a lot more than the hero doing the saving... The biggest characters in this, who aren't villainous, would be the lower-class characters, who are brilliantly entertaining.
 
 Since I will visit friends who live near his estate many times in the future, I think I'll read a book of his each time I go to work my way through his collective works.