Caragiale's "Sub pecetea tainei" has been the subject of debates in the literary community. One disagreement refers to its nature: some see it as a standalone novella, while others, including Alexandru George, view it as an unfinished novel. In this context, a singular position was held by Ovid Crohmălniceanu, who believed that Caragiale was building up to a sequel of his "Craii...". The other point of contention involves its artistic value. Ovidiu Cotruș saw the story as proof that Mateiu Caragiale was running out of "narrative resourcefulness" and creating "the most detached from his work's obsessions", while Șerban Cioculescu deplored Caragiale's move to abandon work on "Soborul țațelor" (which he considered a more promising venture) in order to "implant a sort of Romanian detective novel".