I didn't want this to get lost in the thread, because there is so much debate happening, and WOT wasn't even mentioned in the OP. So this his my personal opinion of the two.

Sanderson is written to be engaging and drag you into the story. Make you forget you are sitting on your bed, and actually feel like you are carrying Bridge Four and battling the Parshendi. Truly sucks you in.

Tolkien, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite. His mastery of the English (and elvish) language is incredible. He knew how to paint a picture with words in a way that no others could. The flow and rhythm of his words are unmatched. And that kind of writing is DRY and BORING. Which is exactly how he made it to be. He knew how to write fun (Hobbit) but chose not to.

I LOVE both with a deep passion, but for different reasons. And for anyone that says they don't like LOTR my only response is, 'I get it' because he didn't write it or everyone and it is hard. If it is a style you can appreciate, then the payoff is totally worth it. If that style isn't for you (and I am definitely not trying to imply that one is better than the other or that you are an uncultured swine if you don't like Tolkiens wordiness) that is totally okay.

I didn't like it the first few times I tried, but I was told by someone older and wiser to give it a try, and if I didn't like it then to try again in a few years. I did that three times, and on my fourth, at about 26 years old (that was like two years ago btw) I fell in love. It wasn't hard for me and it flowed easily.

Try it. Give it a few chapters. If it isn't fun, then try again in a few years. Maybe you will die without it every speaking to you, but I would definitely say don't force it. If the words don't speak to you in the first few chapters then it will be torture getting through the series because his writing style doesn't change throughout the series. He knew what he wanted to do from the start, and he stuck with it all the way through.

Okay, that was longer than I anticipated, but I hope it helps. Update me on how it goes, if you decide to follow my advice.

-Geldir