ok am i the only one who........

[The Lady of Ithilien]

But I guess it's just that the writing style is hard for me to enjoy -- it feels like I'm reading a history book (which I am, really) rather than a story as in TLotR or The Hobbit, Farmer Giles, etc., all of which I whip through every time.

That, and the Elves don't act very much like they do in LotR or Hobbit...they're either much more ethereal (like the Vanyar) or feisty (like the Noldor). It's just so darned big, too.

You know what helps? I found this out accidentally by trying the summarize how Cirdan got to the Havens of Mithlond for an Entmoot post in another thread: take a character, preferably one of the minor ones or one who continues on into the LotR or Hobbit, and write his or her story out. You'll be surprised at how the tale comes alive after that.