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The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium trilogy #1
The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium
Labyrinth of the Scriptrium
is a mystery thriller set in modern Europe while scanning back to European medieval period. Logic upon logic is required of the reader’s reasoning skills in order to unravel the secrets locked within the novel’s multi-layered structure.
The story follows the exploits of Professor Tomii who stumbles upon a mysterious painting by a deceased Japanese artist in Switzerland. The painting of the Siege of Montsegur, a final battle fought in southern France in the 13th century by the Cathars, a medieval Christian sect, draws Professor Tomii deeper and deeper into the mysterious circumstances of the painting, the artist and an unsolved murder that the artist witnessed. In the classic styles of Umberto Eco, Agatha Christi and Ellery Queen, author Hiroshi Goto weaves a substantial and complex tale that keeps the reader stumbling through mazes of rationales and counter-rationales. The mysteries in the Labyrinth of the Scriptrium are finally totally unlocked in Mr. Goto’s subsequent novel Gutenberg-Dämmerung (Twilight of Gutenberg).
The story follows the exploits of Professor Tomii who stumbles upon a mysterious painting by a deceased Japanese artist in Switzerland. The painting of the Siege of Montsegur, a final battle fought in southern France in the 13th century by the Cathars, a medieval Christian sect, draws Professor Tomii deeper and deeper into the mysterious circumstances of the painting, the artist and an unsolved murder that the artist witnessed. In the classic styles of Umberto Eco, Agatha Christi and Ellery Queen, author Hiroshi Goto weaves a substantial and complex tale that keeps the reader stumbling through mazes of rationales and counter-rationales. The mysteries in the Labyrinth of the Scriptrium are finally totally unlocked in Mr. Goto’s subsequent novel Gutenberg-Dämmerung (Twilight of Gutenberg).
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 26, 2017
Despite its intriguing premise (and links to the Cathars and the siege of Montsegur), this failed to maintain my interest as I found the narrative rather clunky.
February 5, 2016
Can I just take a moment to say--cool title!! I have spent many hours pondering why mystery/thriller genre titles do not amuse me (I know, I know, what sane person wastes hours pondering such things?--a bookworm). Modern mystery writers are too glitzy. That is what I came up with in the end. The stories now are so focused on some action or racy, edgy detail to set their mystery apart from every other best seller. The world is getting faster, and our attention spans are getting shorter. No one seems to care if you know who-dun'it by the third chapter as long as it was a fun ride.
Now there is every possibility that some of this novel got lost in the translation, but I have a gut feeling that it is all very accurate. From the style of writing, it just seems to a have an easy ability to cross the language barrier. Goto is taking his narrative point from the great Sherlock Holmes detective writing. A mystery of layers and complexity. Open clues and hints amidst such detailed scene building. I got to the end of the story so perplexed I wasn't even sure which mystery I was trying to solve.
The whole story is a Russian nesting doll of mysteries. I have to admit I completely lost track of the details in such a good way. Some readers may find this to be too much. This is not light, entertaining filler. This is an honest-to-goodness brain tickler. You really have to think about what you are reading. You can even tell when something being presented in the narrative is clearly an important detail, yet you have no one idea who the murderer is at the end.
Then he up and went with ending it solving a small fraction of one of the inner mysteries instead of the big reveal. That we will get in his second novel. Which frustratingly mixed news: it has been written but I have been unable to find any indication on a translation. Egad! It will be hard to recommend this to anyone like myself that gets hooked on having to know. If you can be satisfied with the resolution of a mini mystery and would enjoy a good stretch of the brain muscle, by all means, pick this up. It will be worth it.
Now there is every possibility that some of this novel got lost in the translation, but I have a gut feeling that it is all very accurate. From the style of writing, it just seems to a have an easy ability to cross the language barrier. Goto is taking his narrative point from the great Sherlock Holmes detective writing. A mystery of layers and complexity. Open clues and hints amidst such detailed scene building. I got to the end of the story so perplexed I wasn't even sure which mystery I was trying to solve.
The whole story is a Russian nesting doll of mysteries. I have to admit I completely lost track of the details in such a good way. Some readers may find this to be too much. This is not light, entertaining filler. This is an honest-to-goodness brain tickler. You really have to think about what you are reading. You can even tell when something being presented in the narrative is clearly an important detail, yet you have no one idea who the murderer is at the end.
Then he up and went with ending it solving a small fraction of one of the inner mysteries instead of the big reveal. That we will get in his second novel. Which frustratingly mixed news: it has been written but I have been unable to find any indication on a translation. Egad! It will be hard to recommend this to anyone like myself that gets hooked on having to know. If you can be satisfied with the resolution of a mini mystery and would enjoy a good stretch of the brain muscle, by all means, pick this up. It will be worth it.
October 12, 2015
Originally published to acclaim in Japan in 2002, Hitoshi Goto’s The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium is a challenging read, simultaneously interesting and frustrating. The book has a mystery-within-a-mystery-within-a-mystery-within-a-mystery structure that requires readers willing to repeatedly leave one narrative for another.
What drew my attention to the book was both the title and the promise, in the write-up, of a mystery about the Cathars, the Christian sect annihilated as heretical in the 13th Century. Interestingly, this massacre has a parallel in feudal Japan—one of the book’s more interesting topics.
The Cathars appear early on in the novel, then are dropped for a series of nested mysteries set in Europe during and after World War II. The Cathars reappear at the book’s end as the central character, Professor Tomii puzzles his way through the more recent events. What this meant for me was that I read quickly at first, then more slowly when the strand I was most interested in was dropped, and finally sped up again when the novel returned to the theme that had drawn me to it.
The Cathar mystery is not resolved at the end of The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium. Instead, readers are promised a resolution in a sequel, Twilight of Gutenberg.
What drew my attention to the book was both the title and the promise, in the write-up, of a mystery about the Cathars, the Christian sect annihilated as heretical in the 13th Century. Interestingly, this massacre has a parallel in feudal Japan—one of the book’s more interesting topics.
The Cathars appear early on in the novel, then are dropped for a series of nested mysteries set in Europe during and after World War II. The Cathars reappear at the book’s end as the central character, Professor Tomii puzzles his way through the more recent events. What this meant for me was that I read quickly at first, then more slowly when the strand I was most interested in was dropped, and finally sped up again when the novel returned to the theme that had drawn me to it.
The Cathar mystery is not resolved at the end of The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium. Instead, readers are promised a resolution in a sequel, Twilight of Gutenberg.
December 18, 2015
Wow! This book is most definitely a book for mystery lovers! I love myself a good mystery, but I have to admit that even I could not figure all of this out. There is so much to be interpreted in this story. As in any good mystery, the author attempts to confuse the reader. Believe me, this book can be quite confusing, but not so much that it makes you give up on the reading all together. Be prepared to enter a story that provides you with another story and a mystery within that story as well. It is very easy to get confused, but by the end of the book the reader is able to make better associations. I love the ending! What a unique way to end the book! I am looking forward to the continuation. To the reader, be forewarned, though this is a mystery, there is much danger, deception, and murder within these pages. I could not put this book down. Though confusing, it is fast paced. I would recommend this book to adult mystery lovers and to young adult mystery lovers who feel that they are up for the challenge. This is also a great rainy day book, just keep the lights on! I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 19, 2015
A very difficult to solve mystery! Anyone who loves a good mystery with lots and lots of options of "who done it" will like this novel. Written in an Ellery Queen style, the murder kept me reading nonstop. There is so much European (and international history, for that matter) that it was overwhelming to me. A bit less of the ancient history would have helped me stay with the intrigue of the mystery. The plot and solving the mystery within the mystery was fascinating and made me think about just how the murder could have happened. It is not a book for the casual and easy-to-read book lover. I did enjoy the book, but would only recommend it for a really serious mystery buff.
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February 29, 2016Originally published at Novel Escapism
Reminiscent of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle, reading The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium, is like peeling back onion layers of mystery upon mystery upon mystery. Mr. Goto’s novel is an intricately woven and well-written story. It is not a casual read as it requires the reader’s full attention. But while sometimes frustrating in its complexity, I believe it is worthwhile; a gripping, historical mystery.
Reminiscent of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle, reading The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium, is like peeling back onion layers of mystery upon mystery upon mystery. Mr. Goto’s novel is an intricately woven and well-written story. It is not a casual read as it requires the reader’s full attention. But while sometimes frustrating in its complexity, I believe it is worthwhile; a gripping, historical mystery.
May 21, 2022
If Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie got married and had a baby that baby would be Hitoshi Goto. This mystery is a mystery within a mystery with more twists and turns and traveling then the brain can digest in one sitting. But really plan to read it all in one day. I just can't expound the greatness of this novel. I hope the sequel comes out tomorrow.
January 15, 2016
The labyrinthine plotting structure of "The Labyrinth of the Scriptorium" has many engaging elements, and there are intriguing puzzles to solve within the book. It is like an adult version of the Westing Game, mixed with Agatha Christie, mixed with Sherlock Holmes. Readers who enjoy the book will find themselves engaged for quite some time, but those who aren't interested may struggle to finish.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews