I've come across that several times: not a story like this, but storytelling I can definitely admire for its craftsmanship, but which doesn't grab me, in spite of itself. It's a frustrating experience because the artistry makes me want to love the story, but I can't. Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost was one such, for me.

It's the flip side of reading a book and thinking "this story could have been so awesome, if only it was told better."