I dislike most piano etudes. Is this heretical?

well there are etudes before Chopin. and etudes after Chopin. Chopin reinvented the etude. He was the first to have etudes that were not only a technical study, but a concert pieces as well. I suppose you find the etudes rather repetitive, using the same up and down patterns, etc etc. Why don't you try listening to some Rachmaninoff etudes. they are one of a kind. Try op 39 nos 1,5,6,8. they are called etude-tableux (study-pictures) and they really are beatiful.