I'm another self-confessed 4e lover - and I have to agree that the 4e PHB is not as enjoyable to read as previous editions.
However, I think it's much better laid out and more useful than previous editions, so it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. I'm happy to wait for books like Manual of the Planes for the fluff.
Incidentally, I have no problem with the MM as I like it's emphasis on multiple monsters over small amounts of fluff. It leaves me open to concern myself with how to use the creatures, and less fluff = more options. That said, it would have been nice if they'd have included the line about organisation - eg, Clan, Tribe, Theocracy, etc. A short description of each could have gone at the start of the book.