I think I started, and then shelved, Anathem three times before finally powering through the first third of the book and like you was hooked once I did.
This is how Cryptonomicon was for me. Anathem, I read after that, and I kinda understood what I was getting into, so I got through it much more more quickly.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll give it another shot. I started Anathem twice and just couldn't get into it.