It can be an age thing too. The older I get the less impressed I am with literary 'cleverness.'

Possibly. I've noticed that tendency in myself as well. I'm less patient and what once came across as clever, now feels pretentious and a tad egotistic. The point of writing is to express yourself in a manner that can be understood by someone else, not in a manner that can be interpreted any which way. It shouldn't require in depth literary analysis to be understood.