I read this one many years ago also, and enjoyed it. It was like a wonderful adventure that took me to a different world. The story was engaging, and the characters were vivid and interesting. I remember being completely immersed in it and couldn't put it down.
However, a recent re-read didn't hold up for me. Maybe it was because my perspective had changed over the years, or perhaps the story that once seemed so captivating now felt a bit flat. The characters that I had loved before didn't seem as charming, and the plot didn't have the same impact.
It's interesting how our perception of a book can change over time. What we loved as a child may not have the same appeal as an adult. But that doesn't mean that the book is bad. It just means that we have grown and changed, and our tastes have evolved.