Code isn't poetry

Pedantic is putting the braces in even where they're optional, simply because it avoids problems later on. Pedantic is using Yoda conditionals [1] in C because it enables lvalue checking in the compiler. Pedantic is checking return codes, using assertions, and validating inputs. Pedantic is not unnecessary code; it recognizing what is necessary, and doing it.

[1] E.g., "if (1 == n)" instead of "if (n == 1)" (or prefer a language that uses := for assignment).

Any syntax is less readable if you're unfamiliar with it. If you see enough of them, it reads naturally.

I don't agree that the second example is more readable than the first

But it is!