Complexity of HttpClient API simply reflects the complexity of its problem domain. Contrary to a popular misconception HTTP is a fairly complex protocol. Being a low level transport library HC 4.0 API was primarily optimized for performance and flexibility rather than simplicity. It is regrettable that you are not able to figure it out, but so be it. You are welcome to use whatever library that suits your needs best. I personally like Jetty HttpClient a lot. It is a great alternative that might work better for you.
