There is no getting around it - the Pali Canon is long and difficult to read.  It is also something that you need to read if you truly want to understand Buddhism.  The Pali Canon are the actual words of ther Buddha.  His closest disciples and many of the great scholars got together and committed it all to paper. 
      This is not the easiest read, but it is much easier than working through the 80+ volumes of the Tripitaka.