The parentheses in Lisp are like the white-space in Python - something non-users often get hung-up about when looking at the language, but which turns out to be

The parentheses in Lisp are like the white-space in Python - something non-users often get hung-up about when looking at the language, but which turns out to be a non-issue when using the language for a short while. A more conventional syntax might look more appealing for non-Lispers, but I don't think it will make a big difference for adoption. If you want a more conventional-looking language, there are already plenty to choose from.