It is not so unusual to read books that have stood the test of time at least somewhat.

Newness is not really a valuable quality when it comes to books, barring some exceptions like books on subjects that change frequently and meaningfully.

Diminished quality however is a meaningful signal, and would give most serious readers pause.

Preferring books that have stood the test of time is totally different from just avoiding everything published in the last few years because you're worried it might be AI slop.