I believe in the Orwellian rules religiously, but I like indulging in maximalism from time to time. It felt apt that the article uses a dense, historical style to help it evoke a part of cultural history bygone.
That said, it might be objectively bad writing or AI, and perhaps I just don't know any better.
I confess, a similar thought flittered across my mind as I was reading. I was reminded of a style of writing that I had long since put behind me. That style is a slog. I enjoyed a year of intense study in literature back in 1977. I don't have the literary chops anymore, or the patience to get through Infinite Jest, let alone re-read Moby Dick or Pickwick Papers.
But, you do know better: dense is a much better word than verbose, or my rather harsh purple prose. You are kind.
Still, do you think it's okay to end a sentence with bygone? I'm going to check the HN guidelines and get back to you on that one.