The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade portrays a group of steamboat passengers whose interlocking stories are told as they travel down the Mississippi River toward New Orleans. The novel’s title refers to its central character, an ambiguous figure who sneaks aboard a Mississippi steamboat. This stranger attempts to test the confidence of the passengers. Herman Melville was an American writer of novels, short stories and poetry. Melville was a schoolteacher for a short time and a seaman. On his first voyage he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. His first book, Typee, was an account of that time and became a bestseller and Melville became known as the “man who lived among the cannibals.” Public indifference to Moby-Dick put an end to his career as a popular author. It was not until the “Melville Revival” in the early 20th century that his work won recognition.
Book Info:
100 Books to Read in a Lifetime Looking for something good to read? Browse our picks for 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime, brought to you by the Amazon Book Editors.,Several of his books online, at Project Gutenberg.,Herman Melville. August 19, 1819-September 28, 1891. Nationality: American Birth Date: August 19, 1819 Place of Birth: New York City Death Date: September 28, 1891,A Collection of Rogues, Thimble-Riggers and Three-Card Monte Men . Dr. Bennett . Dr. Bennett of Shreveport, Louisiana (probably born in England) was often credited as ,~ SECTION 1 ~ Counterfeiting Confidence. For most of us the term Confidence Man probably summons up mental images of the shifty three card monte dealer, the passer of ,It was not a very white jacket, but white enough, in all conscience, as the sequel will show. The way I came by it was this Ch. 1, First lines,Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile is the eighth novel by American writer Herman Melville, and his first serialized one, in installments in Putnam’s Monthly ,The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Confidence-Man, by Herman Melville This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions ,Editions Consulted. Melville, Herman. The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. New York: Dix, Edwards & Co. 1857. Foster, Elizabeth S., ed.,The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade (1857) was the ninth and last novel by American writer Herman Melville. Published on April 1, (presumably the exact day of the
* Books Details:
- Published on: 2014-02-01
- Original language:
English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .42″ h x
7.50″ w x
9.25″ l,
.77 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 198 pages
The Confidence-Man – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade (1857) was the ninth and last novel by American writer Herman Melville. Published on April 1, (presumably the exact day of the
The Confidence-Man Hypertext – University of Virginia
Editions Consulted. Melville, Herman. The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. New York: Dix, Edwards & Co. 1857. Foster, Elizabeth S., ed.
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Confidence-Man, by
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Confidence-Man, by Herman Melville This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions
Israel Potter – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile is the eighth novel by American writer Herman Melville, and his first serialized one, in installments in Putnam’s Monthly
Herman Melville – Wikiquote
It was not a very white jacket, but white enough, in all conscience, as the sequel will show. The way I came by it was this Ch. 1, First lines
Joseph Smith: Nineteenth Century Con Man?
~ SECTION 1 ~ Counterfeiting Confidence. For most of us the term Confidence Man probably summons up mental images of the shifty three card monte dealer, the passer of
School for Scoundrels – Chef Anton
A Collection of Rogues, Thimble-Riggers and Three-Card Monte Men . Dr. Bennett . Dr. Bennett of Shreveport, Louisiana (probably born in England) was often credited as
Herman Melville Biography – Brandeis University
Herman Melville. August 19, 1819-September 28, 1891. Nationality: American Birth Date: August 19, 1819 Place of Birth: New York City Death Date: September 28, 1891
Browse By Author: M – Project Gutenberg – Free ebooks
Several of his books online, at Project Gutenberg.
Moby Dick (Wordsworth Classics) (Wadsworth Collection
100 Books to Read in a Lifetime Looking for something good to read? Browse our picks for 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime, brought to you by the Amazon Book Editors.
- Published on: 2014-02-01
- Original language:
English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .42″ h x
7.50″ w x
9.25″ l,
.77 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 198 pages
The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade portrays a group of steamboat passengers whose interlocking stories are told as they travel down the Mississippi River toward New Orleans. The novel’s title refers to its central character, an ambiguous figure who sneaks aboard a Mississippi steamboat. This stranger attempts to test the confidence of the passengers. Herman Melville was an American writer of novels, short stories and poetry. Melville was a schoolteacher for a short time and a seaman. On his first voyage he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. His first book, Typee, was an account of that time and became a bestseller and Melville became known as the “man who lived among the cannibals.” Public indifference to Moby-Dick put an end to his career as a popular author. It was not until the “Melville Revival” in the early 20th century that his work won recognition.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
49 of 51 people found the following review helpful.
An American Classic on the Nature of Trust
By Charles Hugh Smith
Why read a book from 1857 which flopped so badly as commercial literature that Melville stopped writing and ended his career as a customs official? Because this book masterfully explores the entire nature of trust, confidence and cons. Though the setting is a riverboat on the Mississippi River just before the U.S. exploded into Civil War, its insights cross cultural boundaries.This is not an easy book to read for several reasons. First, it is undoubtedly one of the first “post-modern” novels which breaks from traditional narrative storytelling. ( Another example: Dostoevsky’s Notes From the Underground.) The Confidence-Man is a collection of 45 conversations between various people on the riverboat–beggars, absurdly dressed frontiersmen, sickly misers, shysters, patent medicine hucksters, veterans (of the Mexican-American War) and the “hero” in the latter part of the book, the Cosmopolitan.In typical Melville fashion, you also get asides–directly to the reader, in several cases, as if Melville felt the need to address issues of fiction outside the actual form of his novel. The lack of structure, action and conclusion make this a post-modern type book, but if you read each conversation as a separate story, then it starts to make more sense.For what ties the book together is not a story but a theme: the nature of trust and confidence. In a very sly way, Melville shows how a variety of cons are worked, as the absolutely distrustful are slowly but surely convinced to do exactly what they vowed not to do: buy the “herbal” patent medicine, buy shares in a bogus stock venture, or donate cash to a suspect “charity.”In other chapters, it seems like the con artist is either stopped in his tracks or is conned himself. Since the book is mostly conversations, we are left to our own conclusions; there is no authorial voice wrapping up each chapter with a neatly stated ending. This elliptical structure conveys the ambiguous nature of trust; we don’t want to be taken, but confidence is also necessary for any business to be transacted. To trust no one is to be entirely isolated.Melville also raises the question: is it always a bad thing to be conned? The sickly man seems to be improved by his purchase of the worthless herbal remedy, and the donor conned out of his cash for the bogus charity also seems to feel better about himself and life. The ornery frontiersman who’s been conned by lazy helpers softens up enough to trust the smooth-talking employment agency owner. Is that a terrible thing, to trust despite a history of being burned?The ambuiguous nature of the bonds of trust is also explored. We think the Cosmopolitan is a con-man, but when he convinces a fellow passenger to part with a heavy sum, he returns it, just to prove a point. Is that a continuance of the con, or is he actually trustworthy?The book is also an exploration of a peculiarly American task: sorting out who to trust in a multicultural non-traditional society of highly diverse and highly mobile citizens. In a traditional society, things operate in rote ways; young people follow in their parents’ traditional roles, money is made and lent according to unchanging standards, and faith/tradition guides transactions such as marriage and business along well-worn pathways.But in America, none of this structure is available. Even in Melville’s day, America was a polyglot culture on the move; you had to decide who to trust based on their dress, manner and speech/pitch. The con, of course, works on precisely this necessity to rely on one’s senses and rationality rather than a traditional network of trusted people and methods. So the con man dresses well and has a good story, and an answer for every doubt.The second reason why Melville is hard to read is his long, leisurely, clause upon clause sentences. But the book is also peppered with his sly humor, which sneaks up on you… well, just like a good con.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
A Classic Exploration of Trust and the Con
By Charles Hugh Smith
Why read a book from 1857 which flopped so badly as commercial literature that Melville stopped writing and ended his career as a customs official? Because this book masterfully explores the entire nature of trust, confidence and cons. Though the setting is a riverboat on the Mississippi River just before the U.S. exploded into Civil War, its insights cross cultural boundaries.This is not an easy book to read for several reasons. First, it is undoubtedly one of the first “post-modern” novels which breaks from traditional narrative storytelling. ( Another example: Dostoevsky’s Notes From the Underground.) The Confidence-Man is a collection of 45 conversations between various people on the riverboat–beggars, absurdly dressed frontiersmen, sickly misers, shysters, patent medicine hucksters, veterans (of the Mexican-American War) and the “hero” in the latter part of the book, the Cosmopolitan.In typical Melville fashion, you also get asides–directly to the reader, in several cases, as if Melville felt the need to address issues of fiction outside the actual form of his novel. The lack of structure, action and conclusion make this a post-modern type book, but if you read each conversation as a separate story, then it starts to make more sense.For what ties the book together is not a story but a theme: the nature of trust and confidence. In a very sly way, Melville shows how a variety of cons are worked, as the absolutely distrustful are slowly but surely convinced to do exactly what they vowed not to do: buy the “herbal” patent medicine, buy shares in a bogus stock venture, or donate cash to a suspect “charity.”In other chapters, it seems like the con artist is either stopped in his tracks or is conned himself. Since the book is mostly conversations, we are left to our own conclusions; there is no authorial voice wrapping up each chapter with a neatly stated ending. This elliptical structure conveys the ambiguous nature of trust; we don’t want to be taken, but confidence is also necessary for any business to be transacted. To trust no one is to be entirely isolated.Melville also raises the question: is it always a bad thing to be conned? The sickly man seems to be improved by his purchase of the worthless herbal remedy, and the donor conned out of his cash for the bogus charity also seems to feel better about himself and life. The ornery frontiersman who’s been conned by lazy helpers softens up enough to trust the smooth-talking employment agency owner. Is that a terrible thing, to trust despite a history of being burned?The ambuiguous nature of the bonds of trust is also explored. We think the Cosmopolitan is a con-man, but when he convinces a fellow passenger to part with a heavy sum, he returns it, just to prove a point. Is that a continuance of the con, or is he actually trustworthy?The book is also an exploration of a peculiarly American task: sorting out who to trust in a multicultural non-traditional society of highly diverse and highly mobile citizens. In a traditional society, things operate in rote ways; young people follow in their parents’ traditional roles, money is made and lent according to unchanging standards, and faith/tradition guides transactions such as marriage and business along well-worn pathways.But in America, none of this structure is available. Even in Melville’s day, America was a polyglot culture on the move; you had to decide who to trust based on their dress, manner and speech/pitch. The con, of course, works on precisely this necessity to rely on one’s senses and rationality rather than a traditional network of trusted people and methods. So the con man dresses well and has a good story, and an answer for every doubt.The second reason why Melville is hard to read is his long, leisurely, clause upon clause sentences. But the book is also peppered with his sly humor, which sneaks up on you… well, just like a good con.
32 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
Quite an Original
By Michael J. Connor
Quite an OriginalThe Confidence-Man: His MasqueradeI am specifically reviewing the Northwestern University Press edition of Melville’s “The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade.”There is a Norton Critical Edition of this novel edited by Hershel Parker, but it doesn’t seem to be offered by Amazon.com. It is offered at at W.W. Norton’s website… The Hendricks House edition edited by Elizabeth Foster is another good edition, but it seems to be out of print at the moment.On November 12, 1856 Herman Melville and Nathanial Hawthorne took a walk among the sandhills near Liverpool, England. They smoked cigars, and Hawthorne wrote about a week later that Melville spoke of Providence and futurity, and he, Melville, had pretty much made up his mind to be annilated.”The Confidence-Man” is the last novel that Melville published during his lifetime. I agree with Newton Arvin, who called “The Confidence-Man” “one of the most infidel books ever written by an American; one of the most completely nihilistic, morally and metaphysically.”About 150 years after the book was first published, and about fifty since the book was first taken seriously by literary critics, The Confidence-Man is not a settled matter. In fact there remains excessive discord among readers and critics about the worth of this novel. Some compare it to Swift’s “Tale of the Tub,” others will tell you that this book is static and formless.The idea is simple enough. On April 1 a devil in the guise of a deaf mute goes aboard a Mississippi river steamboat, and begs for charity. In rapid succession he transforms himself into a crippled Black man, a man with the weed, the man in the grey coat , the gentleman with the big book, the man with the plate and finally the Cosmopolitan. In these different guises he gulls and diddles people. He asks for trust. He is not always successful, but he can take solace in his failures. The reason for the devil’s failures is the cyniscim, mistrust and mysandry of his marks. It is their human failings that accounts for his failures. And that’s not so bad for the devil.Melville’s control of his material was never greater. I recommend the Northwestern Newberry edition because it contains draft fragments of chapter 14. You can see how carefullly Melville wrote this novel. The blandness of the prose is deliberate. If you read the surviving drafts you will see how Melville purposedly silenced and muted his message. Perhaps Melville was too successful for even close readers get lost sometimes.At the end there is an increase of seriousness. An old man closes his Bible and asks for a life preserver. The Cosmopolitan hands the old man a chamberpot which appears to be full, and calls it a life preserver. The Cosmopolitan then extinguishes the lamp, and then leads the other into the darkness.
See all 41 customer reviews…