I've never read Gravity's Rainbow but I really didn't think Crying of Lot 49 was that hard to get through. Unless you're really hard up on cash to buy a copy I'd say it's worth giving this a shot. That being said it's been a few years since I've read it and not much of it has stuck with me so I'm glad for an opportunity to give it another go and see if I don't get more out of it this time.