I've thought about this and seen threads like this before. I'm not sure what I think. All I've arrived at is "Sometimes I like descriptions that use metaphors and/or similes, and sometimes I don't". When they're good, they give me a window into the world as the characters perceive it, or as the author wants to convey it. When they're bad, it's like being trapped with someone who won't stop reading you their terrible poetry and refuses to take the hint that you're not interested.