Vittoria suffers from a strange malady; whenever she encounters another person, she immediately becomes aware of all of their thoughts, their feelings and their past history. While some might think that good, she quickly disabuses us, pointing out that it means she is forced to avoid people like the plague, because the cacophany inside her head quickly escalates to overwhelming when she finds herself in a crowd. Indeed, she is searching for a way to end her life, such is her despair over it.

This curse has blighted her life since she was a rebellious youth who left her loving parents, smitten over Antonello, a man that they thoroughly disapproved of. Vittoria's story alternates between her account of her present depressive state and the tale of her unwise entanglement with Antonello.

Then, one day, Vittoria encounters another person who suffers the same malady; one she had thought was unique to her.

Cernuto's concept for this novel is highly original, and I thought he rendered Vittoria and her malady as completely believable. While describing her misery in affecting terms, he resists the temptation to paint her as a complete victim.

Vittoria Armieri has the ability, which she views as a curse, to know everything about anyone who is around her -- their thoughts, fears, joys, and secrets. That might be seen as a great power (think of all you could do with that power), but she cannot control what she learns or when, and if she is around a large group of people, the information overload is overwhelming and can cause her to blackout. "The Curse of Knowing" alternates between Vittoria's past and present. While I appreciate that the portions that deal with her past are essential to understanding who she is and her present circumstances, I did not particularly care for those sections, finding them somewhat annoying. Much more interesting and enjoyable was the present day discussion, as Vittoria explains her ability, her thoughts on her ability, and the actions she takes to deal with it, which revolve around isolating herself from others as much as possible. However, circumstances will arise that will force her to reconsider how she deals with her ability and how she conducts her life, resulting in profound changes; which I will leave readers to discover for themselves. The ending of the book is perfect.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The Curse of Knowing
by Aldo Cernuto
Pages:212
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary.
I was excited to get this book because the premise sounded so interesting! To be able to know things about others just by being around them. Wow, that would have been helpful all my life! But I didn't really find the writing or the first half of the book interesting at all. Part of it may be that the author was writing a book in a language that was not his native tongue. It might have flowed a bit more fluently in his own. I really wanted to quit reading it but it was a NetGalley book so I continued.
The last half was some better when the gal of the story meets someone like herself. But the book jumps back and forth in time almost every chapter. I don't know how it got so many 5 stars. I think if he wrote it over in his language, edited it with his language, then have it translated maybe it would be better.

The Curse of Knowing by Aldo Cernuto is fiction.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Clink Street Publishing, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Vittoria Armieri is a 65 year-old janitor at a ministry in Rome.  She is trying to find someone to kill her.  She is fed up with this world, and desperately wishes to die.  She has a gift, which she considers a curse.  She can see into the mind of everyone.  She sees their thoughts and feelings, their actions and memories.  She feels what they do.  Once a beautiful young woman, her looks have faded and she is tired, tired of being bombarded by the memories of every person she passes on the street.

Then she meets two people, one she can read, but one she can't. 


My Opinions:   

The story is told in two time-lines, 1977 and current day.  I did not like Vittoria in the 1977 version.  She was weak.  Yet I came to love the woman she grew into....the one that wants to die.  She is an incredibly lonely woman who forced this solitary life-style on herself.  There are two additional people in this story, Nadine and Domenico.  They are both wonderful, deep characters.

The book is about Vittoria's psychic ability, but it is about so much more.  It is about her empathy for others, it is about the ability to change, and about hope.

This is a very fast read.  However, I actually found it incredibly "wordy",  and it moved so, so, so slowly.  That being said,  I enjoyed it.

For a debut novel, this was very good....not exciting, not my normal type of mystery/thriller read, but it was good. Although about 60% of it was rather depressing, it ended up being one of those feel-good books.

I loved reading this book! Finding out that author Aldo Cernuto was not writing in his native language ... WOW. While reading this fascinating book, I paused and commented to my husband that it is so well written, it flows so beautifully, that if it was not originally written in English, the translator is a gifted one. Oftentimes, with a translation, there is a nuance that is lost, a certain something. The words are there but a some point, the reader feels that, as wonderful as it may be, that there may be a subtle cultural nuance that just cannot be conveyed completely. That is simply not the case at all with The Curse of Knowing. At no point did I feel that anything was missing as far as my understanding or perhaps, it was my thinking I understood all the author wished to share, I don't know. I just know that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I tried to make it last longer - stretch it out but that was a war with my wanting to know "what next?".

The story begins where it should and ends where it should. Vittoria, our main character and our narrator on this compelling journey, takes us through her life. We learn of her life pre-curse or more likely pre-knowledge of the curse, we are there struggling with her in her abusive relationship, we mourn the loss of her parents, we are there while she exists while longing for death, we are there when she meets a gentleman and, later, a young lady who both profoundly affect the trajectory of her life.

The Curse of Knowing is a beautiful book, beautifully written. Many times, I stopped to declare aloud, I love this book! Read it, it will change how you view things.

Difficult subject matter with the main character, Vittoria, who allows her weaknesses to control her, from her college days to where we first meet her, and is completely negative, filled with hopelessness. Fate intervenes and in connecting with Nadine, who is the opposite of Vittoria, strong, positive and filled with hope, things begin to change for her. It is an interesting story, in that it is a cautionary tale to an extent. The intermittent foul language is unnecessary to the story and detracts from what otherwise would be a good book.

Well, I'm not sure how to describe my feelings regarding this book. After starting it, I do not think that it is the type of book that I would normally read. For some reason, the writing style was not one that I care for. And the actual plot took a really long time to get any type of investment from me. I took a peak and saw that I must be an anomaly because there are ALOT of 5 star reviews. But, for me, I had to make myself finish it.

But, with that being said, I am glad I did. The last 5% or so of the book had the first bit of positivity and it finally seemed to lift the feeling of dread that seemed to encompass the rest of the book. This book deals with an older woman who has a talent or curse of being able to feel the negative feelings of people that she is around. She gets to feel their deepest cruelties, crimes and future tragedies. The book goes back and forth between the present and the past and tells the story of a relationship she had in her twenties. There is a whole lot of just downright misery in the story and the MC is not a happy person. In fact the book starts with her wanting to find someone to kill her.

So, a real barrel of laughs.... But, I guess if you look at this book for the existential value, there is a journey that she travels to get from one place in her life to another. She learns to be grateful for her life and learns to fight for her happiness. To me though, this was not a fun journey and the payoff was not worth the trip to get there. But, again, maybe it is just me. As I mentioned before, this is not my normal type of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

This story switches between a backdrop of Rome in the present day, and Rome in the late 1970’s.
We are introduced to an older Vittoria Armieri who is curmudgeonly nursing an extraordinary variety of death wish.
This lead-in reminded me of another great book I have read ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman. The common theme being grumpy but loveable people leading solitary lives.
Vittoria has the gift or curse of being a sensitive or seer.
This is physically and emotionally overwhelming to her to a point where she is a frequent patient at the hospital for her fainting fits after being bombarded by other people’s despairs, disappointments and suffering.
She chooses to live in a twilight zone of her own making, away from crowds and busyness of humanity, as she tells us her story in first person voice.
Her story is both fascinating and harrowing as she tells of her ‘flashes’ which she supresses or ignores with frustratingly ruinous results.
Existing in her bubble of self-blame, wasted talents and guilt we are poised to find out which way her story will turn.
I was totally engaged in the story at this point and wanted to know why it seemed she hadn’t originally talked to her caring mother about her fey all-seeing flashes.
1970’s Italy: surely these things would have been discussed if not celebrated at that time.
Through happenstance or fate of meetings, we witness Vittoria’s slow metamorphosis into more of a moth than a butterfly.
We sense a shift when she encounters Domenico, who initially she pigeonholes and dismisses as fits her purpose. Followed by a seismic shift in her psyche when she meets the younger Nadine.
Without writing any plot spoilers I am not sure if I liked the ending or not.
My response to Vittoria’s final narration was:
“the answers are within the question itself”
All in all, very well written and a great book that it was a pleasure to read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ClinkStreetPublishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This interesting take on the supernatural crossing over into daily life brings us a fantastic character who excites great sympathy. The book takes us on her journey as she faces the choices she has when living with a gift...or curse. The setting is beautifully described and readers can expect a journey through many complex emotions.

This was not my typical genre to read, however I fell in love with the main character Vittoria and felt for her character. The author made you feel as if you were with a friend

The story takes place in Italy. Vittoria is a 65-year-old woman who has the ability, curse in her eyes, to know what people are thinking, which includes what they have done in the past. She sees it as a curse because 1) the constant "noise" of it makes it difficult to be around people, and 2) she knows all the bad things people have done from gossip and affairs to murder. It is for these two reasons she decides she doesn't want to be alive any longer, and she is going to find a serial killer to end her life. Will she end her life as planned? That's for the reader to find out.

It is an interesting concept. The author conveys Vittoria's life of despair well. It is easy to imagine her "gift" as a curse. (How many readers have thought knowing someone's thoughts would be a benefit and positive in nature?) I will recommend this book to family and friends.

Vittoria has lived a life of knowing, she knows events in people’s past, she knows events that have not yet occurred, and she has lived with this curse tormenting her for years. This curse can be overwhelming.

Told from Vittoria’s perspective, she flits between past and present to explain why she so desperately wishes to find a murderer to end her life.

This was a very different story to any I have read before and very emotional. You really feel the emotions of the character.

Vittoria has a curse. She knows. She knows what you have done. She knows why. She knows how you felt when you did it. When we meet her she is ready to die and she is looking for someone to do it. She wants us to know why, so she recalls her life in Rome and how she came to have this gift/curse. What it did to her. Surprisingly, this is not a depressing book. This book has a wonderful ending. I loved the richness of the descriptions and the feel of the Italian woman living her life. I didn't think I would like it but I really did. I was shocked and impressed when I found out that the author struggled through writing this in English, but I am so glad. That voice was exactly right for Vittoria. Sprawling. Touching.

Vittoria has beauty that makes both women and men stop and stare in awe! But as she ages so does her beauty and it leaves behind what others make think of as a gift, but to her is a curse. She can see into the depths of people’s souls to how they truly feel and to their past transgressions. She can also see snippets of the future but not full knowledge of when or how events will occur! Vittoria has a plan to seek out a murdered using a curse in order to end her life. She brings the reader through the events of her past and present. After a string of events, the unexpected occurs and will completely change Vittoria’s future.
I enjoyed the writing of the book that felt like you were the one she was speaking to. I also enjoyed the way that the author wrapped up the book right at the very end. It was a short but entertaining read!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“ ITS BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE TO FEEL EVERYTHING SO DEEPLY.”
I am thankful to the author and publishers for bestowing on me , the BLESSING to read this book.

This book is an insight into the head of an empath or a highly sensitive individual. They are unique, natural healers who can feel what you are feeling as deeply as you are . Some of them might also get an mental X-ray of the random people they come across. They also know what you are thinking, so don’t lie to them, they can read minds. Well all this can be very overwhelming and exhausting for them.

Our protagonist here is VIttoria Armeni who is suffering from an illness as she calls it “the curse of knowing”. She is a psychic / empath who struggles everyday in her life with this curse which takes over her and makes her acrimonious and unhappy. She is an unconditional lover who falls prey to a toxic and abusive man’s harrowing journey of love.

This story alternates between Vittoria‘a young and present life ( she is 60 now) and is describing her heart wrenching life journey of being able to see through it all, the premonitions the pain and the struggle of being her kind of normal in a hypocritical world. She is depleted, weary and just wants to be murdered.
“We are both so asphyxiated by the ordinary hypocrisy around us that our bursts of brutal honesty comes like a breath of fresh air.”

I was delighted when I got the message of being approved for this title and started reading it as it was my highest priority.
I LOVED this beautiful feel good potion of a book.
Beautiful, poignant , eloquent writing
Loveable characters
Inspirational
The bond between Vittoria and Nadine ( the surprise element)
Read the book to find out more about other surprise elements embedded in this bittersweet story.
I highly recommend this book to you. It’s comforting, with a hint of melancholy, mystery peppered with feel good moments.

Thank you NetGalley and Aldo Cernuto for giving me a chance to read this e ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Vicky has a gift .. or is it a curse? She deals with people's emotions and secrets on a daily basis. She feels tormented and profound guilt. She chooses to take her own life ...but then someone appears in her life and changes her forever.

Nadine becomes a really good friend .. someone she can unload her own thoughts and feelings...someone she can confide in. And there's the very kind Domenico, another wonderful addition to Vicky's life, even though he has made some mistakes in the past.

Vicky is a wonderful character. She's a woman who feels lost most of the time with no one to turn to. Vicky and Nadine's friendship is very touching and emotional. There's hope and acceptance and above all, friendship.

Taking place in Rome, Italy, the book goes back and forth between the past and the present. The characters are solidly written amid an intricate plot. It's s bit on the dark side, but there's always light in the tunnel.

Many thanks to the author / Clink Street Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Psychological Fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Vittoria Armieri, is looking around at the different people. She is looking for a murderer. Why? She is tired of living she is tired of the curse, illness, gift, whatever you may call it, that she has. She is able to look at a person and see their whole life. The good and bad. Being bombarded with these images is tiring, both mentally and physically. She has a hard time in crowds. Sometimes she is so overcome with feelings and images that she faints. She has been taken to the hospital at least eighteen time in the last few years. She is overwhelmed. She is tired. She no longer wishes to go on.
This book is interesting. It definitely makes you think about how a person can perceive life. Excellent read!

An interesting book in the magical realism genre. Given that the author did not write this in his native language it is astoundingly well written.

It is an exploration of one woman's struggle to come to terms with her "illness" of mind reading along with her past Taking place in Rome it alternates between present day and the late 1970s

Although much of the book is dark, there is a happy ending

I received a free copy from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review