Bleak House was a blockbuster when it was published as a serial novel from March 1852 to September 1853. It was also read out loud. I expect more people in the 1800s would have understood the introductory paragraphs just because they had a reader who aided in the interpretation.
I don't think it's reasonable to expect college students in 2025 to understand it on their own. This is a good reason to have professors.
https://kittenbeloved.substack.com/p/college-english-majors-cant-read