Programming Pearls: Literate Programming

When was the last time you spent a pleasant evening in a comfortable chair, reading a good program? I don't mean the slick subroutine you wrote last summer, nor even the big system you have to modify next week. I'm talking about cuddling up with a classic, and starting to read on page one. Sure, you may spend more time studying this elegant routine or worrying about that questionable decision, and everybody skims over a few parts they find boring. But let's get back to the question: when was the last time you read an excellent program?