The Confidence-Man - (Dover Thrift Editions) by Herman Melville (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>A shape-shifting grifter boards a Mississippi riverboat to expose the pretenses, hypocrisies, and self-delusions of his fellow passengers. Melville's comic allegory challenges the optimism and materialism of mid-nineteenth century America.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>On April Fool's Day in 1856, a shape-shifting grifter boards a Mississippi riverboat to expose the pretenses, hypocrisies, and self-delusions of his fellow passengers. The con artist assumes numerous identities -- a disabled beggar, a charity fundraiser, a successful businessman, an urbane gentleman -- to win over his not-entirely-innocent dupes. The central character's shifting identities, as fluid as the river itself, reflect broader aspects of human identity even as his impudent hoaxes form a meditation on illusion and trust. <br>This comic allegory addresses themes of sincerity, character, and morality in its challenge to the optimism and materialism of mid-19th-century America. By the time of its publication, readers had pigeonholed Herman Melville as a writer of adventure yarns. The novel was completely misunderstood by the author's contemporaries, and its financial failure drove him away from fiction. With the passage of time, however, <i>The Confidence-Man </i>has come to be recognized for its stunningly modern techniques and its indictment of the dark side of the American dream.<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><p>Herman Melville (1819-1891) found early success with stories inspired by his adventures in the South Seas. His fortunes declined with the 1851 publication of <i>Moby-Dick, </i>now recognized as a masterpiece but scorned by Melville's contemporaries. The author was obliged to work as a New York City customs inspector and died in obscurity, three decades before the critical reassessment of his work.</p>
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