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El Escribano
Francia, siglo XIV. El joven Raymond Maillot es un escribano pendenciero amante del vino, las mujeres y las canciones, pero cuando se pone al servicio del padre Amiel, un dominico encargado de investigar un crimen especialmente sórdido, su vida empieza a cambiar. El monje le contrata para que investigue el misterioso asesinato del ayudante del cardenal Di Vicio, el cual fue hallado muerto y con el pene amputado. La misión del escribano consiste en determinar la identidad del agresor -si es que hay alguno- o bien descubrir si se trata de actos de brujería. A partir de ese momento, Raymond se siente dividido entre su apego a los placeres y su deseo de encontrar refugio en la Iglesia. Catherine Jinks, autora de El inquisidor (también publicado por esta editorial) nos ofrece una nueva intriga medieval plagada de desmembramientos, libertinaje y visitas demoníacas.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Jinks
62 books538 followersCatherine Jinks is the Australian author of more than thirty books for all ages. She has garnered many awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award(three times), the Victorian Premier’s Award, the Aurealis Award for Science Fiction, the Australian Ibby Award, and the Davitt Award for Crime Fiction. Her work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Thailand.
Catherine was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1963. She grew up in Papua New Guinea, where her father worked as a patrol officer. Her high-school years were spent in Sydney, NSW; in 2006, her alma mater, Ku-ring-gai High School, named its library after her.
From 1982 to 1986, Catherine studied at the University of Sydney, graduating with an honours degree in medieval history. She then worked on Westpac Banking Corporation’s staff magazine for approximately seven years. In 1992 she married Peter Dockrill, a Canadian journalist; in 1993 she and her husband left Australia for a brief spell in Nova Scotia, where she began to write full time. They returned to Australia in 1994, and Catherine gave birth to her daughter Hannah in 1997. Since 1998, she and her family have been living in Leura, NSW.
She has two brothers, and two pet rats. Like most people in Leura, she has become a slave to her garden, but not to the extent that she’ll buy rooting powder.
Catherine has been writing books since she was eight years old. She doesn’t expect to stop writing them any time soon.
Author photo: Catherine Jinks in front of 'Conceptual Networks', by artist Paul du Moulin.
Photo by Paul du Moulin
Catherine was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1963. She grew up in Papua New Guinea, where her father worked as a patrol officer. Her high-school years were spent in Sydney, NSW; in 2006, her alma mater, Ku-ring-gai High School, named its library after her.
From 1982 to 1986, Catherine studied at the University of Sydney, graduating with an honours degree in medieval history. She then worked on Westpac Banking Corporation’s staff magazine for approximately seven years. In 1992 she married Peter Dockrill, a Canadian journalist; in 1993 she and her husband left Australia for a brief spell in Nova Scotia, where she began to write full time. They returned to Australia in 1994, and Catherine gave birth to her daughter Hannah in 1997. Since 1998, she and her family have been living in Leura, NSW.
She has two brothers, and two pet rats. Like most people in Leura, she has become a slave to her garden, but not to the extent that she’ll buy rooting powder.
Catherine has been writing books since she was eight years old. She doesn’t expect to stop writing them any time soon.
Author photo: Catherine Jinks in front of 'Conceptual Networks', by artist Paul du Moulin.
Photo by Paul du Moulin
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 1, 2012
Brilliant - more than telling a story, it analyses human nature in the person of the main character and the evolution of his mind, feelings and actions, while under the influence of a multitude of many other lifelike characters that tried to exert their influence in his behaviour.
December 6, 2020
Libro que recuerdo que me gustó aunque la trama transcurría algo lenta.
September 19, 2021
Escrita rica, bom enredo. Podia ter um ritmo ligeiramente mais rápido. Difícil de fazer uma transição para outro livro do mesmo género o que prova a sua narrativa.
Apenas não gostei de um pequeno pormenor, o de narrador focar a sua narração para o público feminino, tornando-o um pouco redutor.
Apenas não gostei de um pequeno pormenor, o de narrador focar a sua narração para o público feminino, tornando-o um pouco redutor.
March 9, 2020
I found this quite a challenge to read.
It is set in the middle ages when it seems that almost anything pleasurable is a sin!
It begins with the discovery of a male body which had had its genitalia removed.
Raymond, a young notary, is employed by a monk by the name of Father Amiel to transcribe the facts of the investigation into the murder.
Raymond previously led a life of sex and wine - and he made no apology for it.
However, Father Amiel makes him feel that this is a sure pathway to hell, and as a result, Raymond changes his ways.
All is not how it seems though!
Will Raymond go back to his previous life or will he follow in the footsteps of Father Amiel?
The ending was a big surprise!!
Having said that, I found the book tedious, and at times almost gave it up.
Perhaps I should have broken the cardinal rule, and read the last chapter first!!!!
It is set in the middle ages when it seems that almost anything pleasurable is a sin!
It begins with the discovery of a male body which had had its genitalia removed.
Raymond, a young notary, is employed by a monk by the name of Father Amiel to transcribe the facts of the investigation into the murder.
Raymond previously led a life of sex and wine - and he made no apology for it.
However, Father Amiel makes him feel that this is a sure pathway to hell, and as a result, Raymond changes his ways.
All is not how it seems though!
Will Raymond go back to his previous life or will he follow in the footsteps of Father Amiel?
The ending was a big surprise!!
Having said that, I found the book tedious, and at times almost gave it up.
Perhaps I should have broken the cardinal rule, and read the last chapter first!!!!
September 15, 2020
Muy bueno, me encantó!!! Un libro muy adictivo, con un protagonista muy divertido, quien sin duda alegró mis tardes, y una trama maravillosa... y ese final!!! 👌💕
February 19, 2014
Wow. Wonderfully witty, both hilarious and sad, and, of course, deeply researched. The Notary is even better than its predecessor, The Inquisitor.
The Notary is an utterly convincing evocation of the up-and-down existence of a scribe living in Avignon soon after the Papacy took up residence there in the fourteenth century. The young man in question is a cheerful dissolute until he becomes employed by a Dominican friar as notary to investigate a death by sorcery.
At times, the story got a little bogged down in theological debate - especially during the marathon interrogation of the prideful priest, Antonio. I also got a little disheartened as Raymond (the notary) allowed himself to be transformed under the subtle influence of the friar.
Despite this, the story remained pacy, entertaining and thought provoking throughout. Finally - and startlingly - The Notary revealed itself as a disturbing and clever character study.
The Notary is an utterly convincing evocation of the up-and-down existence of a scribe living in Avignon soon after the Papacy took up residence there in the fourteenth century. The young man in question is a cheerful dissolute until he becomes employed by a Dominican friar as notary to investigate a death by sorcery.
At times, the story got a little bogged down in theological debate - especially during the marathon interrogation of the prideful priest, Antonio. I also got a little disheartened as Raymond (the notary) allowed himself to be transformed under the subtle influence of the friar.
Despite this, the story remained pacy, entertaining and thought provoking throughout. Finally - and startlingly - The Notary revealed itself as a disturbing and clever character study.
August 17, 2014
Catherine Jinks wrote some of my favourite books as a young-adult, and this is the first 'adult' book I've read by her.
It took me a long time to feel anything towards the voice of this story. He was actually a pretty annoying character to endure for 500+ pages. If he was a teenager, he might've been understandable, but as an adult man... He was exhaustingly immature. And a little bit dumb, too.
However, I did warm to him in the last 150 pages or so (it was a long time coming), though I'm not sure if that was enough to warrant enduring the whole book.
At the very least, this book was unpredictable, and I did spend a lot of time asking, "Where is this going?" So, in this sense, it was at least a compelling story.
It took me a long time to feel anything towards the voice of this story. He was actually a pretty annoying character to endure for 500+ pages. If he was a teenager, he might've been understandable, but as an adult man... He was exhaustingly immature. And a little bit dumb, too.
However, I did warm to him in the last 150 pages or so (it was a long time coming), though I'm not sure if that was enough to warrant enduring the whole book.
At the very least, this book was unpredictable, and I did spend a lot of time asking, "Where is this going?" So, in this sense, it was at least a compelling story.
September 12, 2025
Rating: 14/20
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews