I read 'The Iliad,' 'The Oddysey,' and 'Beowulf' when I was in high school. Followed by parts of 'Inferno' and 'Cantebury Tales.' In college when studying Japanese, I read 'The Tale of Genji.'
The long form of 'sagas,' whether in poetic or prose form, pull me in. What are some long-form myths and tales you enjoy?
The Silmarillion was a huge surprise when I read it. I remember thinking it reminded more of the Bible than Lord of the Rings... but in a good way.
Yeah it's a really unique book. Fascinating to see how Tolkien's Christian worldview is incorporated into his fantasy mythology. You could teach a whole class analyzing the relationship between Christianity and Tolkien's work. And I would bet that class already exists somewhere.