>If there are whole books in a series that are universally acknowledged as hard to get through, surely the author is doing it wrong?
Well, no one's ever said Robert Jordan was perfect.
If you would really like to finish the series but don't want to invest SO much time in it, there is a great reread on Tor.com by Leigh Butler. She summarizes each chapter and did an analysis of you're interested in that. That's what I did before 2 of the last 3 books came out rather than doing a complete reread. Personally, once you get through the 9th book, I would read the rest of the series because that's when it picks back up. But if you really just want to find out how it ends and don't care about the character development and emotional impact, then the reread is perfect.
https://www.tor.com/features/series/wot-reread/
She's very good, and hilarious! You can also buy the reread in Kindle format
smile.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Reread-Books-Boxset-ebook/dp/B00BIV2332/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=XFXBGHWHOKMM&keywords=wheel+of+time+reread+Leigh+Butler&qid=1638307672&sprefix=wheel+of+time+reread+leigh+butler%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1
Are the Malazan Reread posts available as an ebook? Either officially, like those for the Wheel of Time, or fan-made?
Leigh Butler wrote a great chapter-by-chapter summary that reads like a condensed version of the books. It's free online or you can buy it on amazon.