I wish he'd at least spread it over six pages, with a link to the next page positioned less prominently than a [mocked-up] Google AdSense ad-unit with arrow.
Yes. I think the chrome added by ads and "bullshit" can be mitigated by adblockers, reader modes and careful selection of content. The sometime abysmal STR of some articles is far worse. Usually you have to invest at least a little time into figuring out if something is legit or a complete waste of time.