Soap operas of our lives

I've been reading the super-mega Wheel of Time soap opera by Robert Jordan. I began in the early summer, and am currently on book 9 of 11. It started out as a typical tale of the hero--he comes out of obscurity, learns who he is, works through denial, gets some skills from a mentor, and accomplishes something great. The first couple books were fun. Now they are a bit tedious. I keep reading, however, because I want to find out what happens at the end (if there ever will be one)! The later books each take 500-600 pages to cover a period of a few weeks, with not much advancement of plot. Will Rand ever save the world? Will Mat ever marry the Princess of the Nine Moons? Do the men in these books ever get some guts? I don't mean to intentionally offend those who think these are classics, but the only thought-provoking material in these novels for me is the way Jordan portrays women as insufferable nagging know-it-alls! I would lief drop these books by the way and get on with something more meaningful. . . but alas I am addicted to the story and I suppose a few more thousand pages won't kill me. :)