The novel used in the sample is a very bad choice. The author has his special style, hopelessly outdated.

Chinese novels are not easy for beginners, my suggestion is to go with novels that're translated into Chinese from English, like Sherlock Holmes. The translator uses good Chinese, and the stories are familiar, therefore you will have an easy time understanding the texts. After all, it's the language you are interested.

To be able to appreciate Chinese novels like a native, especially classic ones, you'll need years of study, starting from Chinese history, classic literature, ...