Good storytelling will "carry you" with the tale. It should mean you don't want to miss anything. It should mean the story lingers in the memory long after it first impacts on you.
Good stories can be adapted. And the really good ones, despite being centuries old, will still be produced regularly, published regularly or whatever.
The characters will be memorable, each in their own right. You shouldn't be able to imagine the plot without any of them. Good storytelling is something instantly recognizable the moment you come across it.