IPhoto is so slow that it is inoperable

Hello! I need your help! I have only less than 8000 photos (as counted in my iPhoto Library photographs) and 2 very short videos, added memory to 12 GB, got external HD (only less than 10% used; 906GB free), and still get color wheel spinning all the time, cannot even scroll the list of photo icons (in Library) more than a few rows in a minute.
I do not know what is wrong. I have no problem with other functions or applications, web surfing, mail viewing etc.
The following factors might have or might not have affected the above problems, but I do not know if they are of any significance:
*I had upgraded my iOS to Marverix several days before the symptoms apppeared.
*I have about 4 unfinished photo books I am working on, of which 2 have 170 photos and 270 photos each.
My iMac is 21.5" Late 2009 model, with OSX ver. 10.9.1, Intel processing 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo.
Macintosh HD has 499GB capacity while only 81GB used and 418GB available.
iPhoto version = 9.5.1 (Latest upgrade)
The situation is so bad that I am beginning to think that I should give up iPhoto and iMac as well.
Thank you for your help!
Message was edited by: Lakesoba404

Hello Terence:
Thank you for your quick response. Yes, I had forgotten to mention HD space: it has 418GB available out of 499GB capacity (used 81GB). External HD is portable drice attached to iMac by USB cable, manufactured by Seagate. The performance speed of iPhoto did improved a little bit right after it was installed about a week or so ago, but as soon as I started to work on my book project, it returned to where I was before adding External.
I really appreciate for your advice.
Thanks,

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IPhoto is so slow that it is inoperable

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