I feel for you, and you'll have a better response (maybe) from the subreddit as they aren't quite as die-hard about the whole "THIS IS A STORY DRIVEN MMO, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??!" bs. It's an MMO, with a forced story. That's it. It's truly a shame that they ham fist it down your throat as it does turn away people (like yourself).

I skip the story myself, and I would say that if you can get past the obscene amount of MSQ items, you may find things you enjoy on the other side. Perhaps just take a break from the slog and come back to it to see if you feel any different. Just prepare yourself for a lot more of the same, at least until you're caught up on the MSQ.