The modern reader has read so much detective literature, has stored so many tricks in their mind, so many locked rooms, so many final twists, that they will inevitably find the mysteries offered by the first and foremost of private detectives naive and vulnerable. Indeed, most of the time we find the explanation before Holmes's clients even finish presenting their problem. Yet, the "easy" stories of Conan Doyle are read and reread, which is not often the case with even the best riddles of Ellery Queen or John Dickson Carr.

The above is mentioned in the preface of the 1981 edition in the excellent translation by Vasilis Kalipolitis and Victoria Trapali. Today, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is being reissued in the new series "classic noir literature" by Exanta, which aims to "house" the texts of the genre from both the 19th and 20th centuries.