Skip to main content

CURRENTLY SOLD OUT

The Confidence-man: His Masquerade by Herman Melville (Paperback, 2002)

About this product

About this product

Product Information

Long considered the author's strangest novel, this work is a comic allegory aimed at the optimism and materialism of mid-18th-century America. A mysterious shape-changing confidence-man approaches passengers on a Mississippi steamboat and, winning over the (not quite innocent) victims with his charm, urges them to trust implicitly in the cosmos, in nature, and even in human nature - with predictable results. This novel represented a departure for Herman Melville, a satirical and socially acute work that was to be a further step away from his sea novels. Yet it confused and angered reviewers who preferred to pigeonhole him as an adventure writer. Some have argued that the book was a joke on the readers loyal to his sea stories, but if so, it backfired. Dismissed by critics as unreadable, and an undoubted financial failure, the novel's cold reception undermined Melville's belief in his ability to make a living writing works that were both popular and profound, and he soon gave up fiction. It was not until the mid-20th-century that critics rediscovered the book and praised its wit, modern technique, and wry view that life may be just a cosmic con game.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Northwestern University Press
ISBN-13
9780810119680
eBay Product ID (ePID)
94796277

Product Key Features

Book Title
The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade
Author
Herman Melville
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Topic
Books
Publication Year
2002
Number of Pages
264 Pages

Additional Product Features

Title_Author
Herman Melville
Series Title
Northwestern-Newberry Editions of the Writings of Herman Melville
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States

Best Selling in Books

Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Books

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest (Paperback, 2020)
5.0 out of 5 stars based on 6 product ratings
AU $21.98 New
AU $15.39 Used
The Concise 48 Laws Of Power by Robert Greene (Paperback, 2002)
4.5 out of 5 stars based on 22 product ratings
AU $21.51 New
---- Used
Atomic Habits: the life-changing million-copy #1 bestseller by James Clear (Paperback, 2018)
4.8 out of 5 stars based on 25 product ratings
AU $18.90 New
AU $8.95 Used
Become What You Are: Expanded Edition by Alan W. Watts (Paperback, 2003)
5.0 out of 5 stars based on 2 product ratings
AU $32.51 New
---- Used
Geronimo Stilton: #9 Fabumouse Vacation for Geronimo by Geronimo Stilton (Paperback, 2004)
No ratings or reviews yet.
AU $21.81 New
AU $9.00 Used
First Day by Andrew Daddo (Paperback, 2014)
No ratings or reviews yet.
AU $10.00 New
AU $6.29 Used

Save on Books

Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books

The Orthodox Study Bible, Hardcover: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today's Worl
AU $63.30
Trending at AU $65.12
NEW Bluey: My Mum is the Best By Bluey (Hardcover) Picture Book FREE Shipping
AU $11.95
Trending at AU $15.21
The 2023 Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer Cookbook: 1000 Days Simple, Delicious & Low C
AU $18.48
Trending at AU $19.14
New Haunting Adeline Paperback - Best Quality Product - Paperback - FREE SHIP AU
AU $35.39
Trending at AU $38.09
Lonely Planet Vietnam | Paperback Book | NEW AU FREE SHIPPING AU
AU $27.88
Trending at AU $28.29
The Source: Open Your Mind, Change Your Life by Tara Swart Paperback Book NEW AU
AU $24.99
Trending at AU $27.29

You may also like

Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like