The Confidence-Man (1857) is a novel by American writer Herman
Melville. After the failure of his novels Moby-Dick (1851) and
Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852), Melville struggled to find a
publisher who would accept his work. When it was published, The
Confidence-Man was seen as a flawed, unnecessarily complicated
novel, and beyond several collections of poetry, it all but ended
Melville’s career as a professional writer. When Melville’s
work was reappraised in the 1920s, however, scholars recognized his
status as one of nineteenth century America’s finest literary
voices. A keen visionary, Melville’s satirical outlook and
pessimistic sense of American morality drive the fragmented
narrative of The Confidence-Man, his final, most complicated, and
perhaps most rewarding novel. In St. Louis, a mute man dressed in
cream colored clothes boards a riverboat bound for New Orleans. On
the journey down the Mississippi, a cast of characters at once
bizarre and commonplace passes the time playing cards, engaging in
conversation, and attempting to gain one another’s trust. A
crippled African American beggar faces disbelief when he speaks of
his life on the streets. A young and naïve student idolizes
wealthy men and hopes to make a fortune by investing in stocks. A
man in a gray suit asks his fellow passengers to donate to a
suspicious charity. As the boat sails on, it becomes increasingly
clear that while confidence is easily purchased, honesty remains
the rarest of commodities. Set and published on April Fool’s Day,
The Confidence-Man is a satire of American life that explores with
unsparing pessimism themes of religion, identity, morality, and the
role of money in everyday life. With a beautifully designed cover
and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Herman
Melville’s The Confidence-Man is a classic of American literature
reimagined for modern readers.
General
Imprint: |
Graphic Arts Books
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Mint Editions |
Release date: |
September 2021 |
Authors: |
Herman Melville
|
Contributors: |
Mint Editions
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 127mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
252 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-5132-0773-5 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-5132-0773-3 |
Barcode: |
9781513207735 |
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