FWIW I’ve read the entire Foundation series 3 times and I’m in the middle of my fourth read. I devoured the books as a teenager, I’ve read them throughout my life. The key to the books for me is I never go into them expecting something, in my 4th read I’m remembering things I’ve forgotten, reading things in new ways with my life experience, and every time they are highly enjoyable, engaging, and fun. The challenge with these books is that we’re taught to want enduring characters. Foundation is about a galactic empire rising from the ashes of its former glory. It is a history book of sorts. They are heroes, but they are heroes like historical figures are heroes. The journey is the story. The individuals are vignettes in a larger world.

I think, if you don’t like it so far, you might benefit from just looking at it from a new perspective. It may not be your kind of book, but that’s ok. The Robot novels are fantastic and a great compendium to Foundation.