Why is it so difficult?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

I'd add, don't approach it as a duty. If you love Middle-earth, you probably owe it to yourself to give the Sil a shot, but it doesn't make you a bad Tolkien fan if you never warm up to it.

So true! You can't understand The Sil if you don't love the world of LOTR (not only ME, I mean the whole world).
I think it helps to reread The Sil after you finish it, because many things could be unclear or confusing the first time.