I'm a (new) lurker...

[Burgess, John]

Allow me to point out a slight faux pas in your post... 

You didn't read TRP's "three main works," but "three of his main works." 
_Vineland_ is as great as any of the others.  I'd tend to agree about 
CoL49 as being the least among them, though.

I came across TRP's book in the order he wrote them, as they came out.  
And yes, they were purchased on sight, off the bookshelf.  While I have a 
sort of writer-loyalty, I'm a sucker for the well-crafted blurb, the 
jazzy cover.