For me its those interludes that raise TNOTW into a class above the normal Harry Potter Copycat Formula that is so popular now.
I never even considered the possibility that, those bits would be putting people off. It's pretty clear that its those sections were Patrick Ruthfuss strives for perfection, that is taking so long to complete the series. He can churn out pages, once he gets "into the rythm" of more common storytelling.