Sir Walter Scott

In 1814, Jane Austen remarked, "Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones, -it is not fair-He has Fame and Profit enough as a Poet, and should not be taking the bread out of other people's mouths, -I do not like him and do not mean to like Waverley if I can help it-but I fear I must."
There are others like Mark Twain who apparently did not want to like the works of Scott, but their correspondence indicates they read his works avidly. His works obviously could not maintain the enormous popularity they enjoyed when Scott was alive, but new editions continue to find printers and critical works continue to have Scott as their focus. Next year will be the 200th anniversary of the first printing of "Lady of the Lake."
Should we read his works or allow them to fade into the mists of time?