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The Confidence-Man

herman melville john dugdale tony tanner

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Male, female, deft, fraudulent, constantly shifting: which of the masquerade of passengers on the Mississippi steamboat Fidele is the confidence man? The central motif of Melville's last and most modern novel can be seen as a symbol of American cultural history.

361 pages, Paperback

First published April 1,1857

This edition

Format
361 pages, Paperback
Published
November 11, 1999 by Oxford University Press
ISBN
9780192837622
ASIN
0192837621
Language
English

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About the author

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herman melville

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There is more than one author with this name

Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. At the time of his death, Melville was no longer well known to the public, but the 1919 centennial of his birth was the starting point of a Melville revival. Moby-Dick eventually would be considered one of the great American novels.
Melville was born in New York City, the third child of a prosperous merchant whose death in 1832 left the family in dire financial straits. He took to sea in 1839 as a common sailor on a merchant ship and then on the whaler Acushnet, but he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. Typee, his first book, and its sequel, Omoo (1847), were travel-adventures based on his encounters with the peoples of the islands. Their success gave him the financial security to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of the Boston jurist Lemuel Shaw. Mardi (1849), a romance-adventure and his first book not based on his own experience, was not well received. Redburn (1849) and White-Jacket (1850), both tales based on his experience as a well-born young man at sea, were given respectable reviews, but did not sell well enough to support his expanding family.
Melville's growing literary ambition showed in Moby-Dick (1851), which took nearly a year and a half to write, but it did not find an audience, and critics scorned his psychological novel Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852). From 1853 to 1856, Melville published short fiction in magazines, including "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener". In 1857, he traveled to England, toured the Near East, and published his last work of prose, The Confidence-Man (1857). He moved to New York in 1863, eventually taking a position as a United States customs inspector.
From that point, Melville focused his creative powers on poetry. Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) was his poetic reflection on the moral questions of the American Civil War. In 1867, his eldest child Malcolm died at home from a self-inflicted gunshot. Melville's metaphysical epic Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land was published in 1876. In 1886, his other son Stanwix died of apparent tuberculosis, and Melville retired. During his last years, he privately published two volumes of poetry, and left one volume unpublished. The novella Billy Budd was left unfinished at his death, but was published posthumously in 1924. Melville died from cardiovascular disease in 1891.

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Rating(4 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
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99 reviews All reviews
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DuckSashimi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This was read against my will for college. I really did not enjoy it at all.

College reading assignments can sometimes be a chore, especially when they are not something that interests you. In this case, I was forced to read something that I had no desire to engage with.

The experience was not pleasant. I found myself struggling to pay attention and retain the information. It felt like a waste of my time and energy.

However, I also understand that college is about expanding our knowledge and being exposed to different ideas. Maybe this reading assignment will turn out to be useful in some way that I can't yet see. But for now, all I can say is that I did not enjoy it.

I hope that in the future, I will have more control over what I read and that I will be able to choose materials that are more in line with my interests and goals.
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Haruharu_chan365
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A strange book, to be sure.

Yet, it has a great deal to convey. In fact, it's not a novel in the traditional sense at all, which makes it understandable that some might be deterred by it.

It functions as a collection of dialogues or encounters where a con-man or perhaps multiple con-men dupe a succession of individuals in diverse ways.

The stock market, impersonation, and health are just some of the arenas in which these deceptions occur.

When contrasted with Melville's other works, this structure is undoubtedly more extreme than his previous efforts.

However, it's not entirely out of place. After all, Melville often feels most comfortable when creating dialogues between his characters and the reader, as seen in the middle sections of most of his novels.

The latter half of the book takes a bit of a turn as we lose track of who is conning whom and descend into various stories within stories.

This might be Melville at his most cynical, but it's never without its share of amusement.

Admittedly, it can be slow-paced, and there's little to no dramatic action to speak of, making it challenging to persevere.

Nevertheless, if you're a Melville enthusiast, it's well worth the effort.
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Chromoicx
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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What do all these conversations really lead to?

There is no proper ending.

WHERE are the women? Did 90% of them die of an illness solely targeting members of the female sex?

Sorry, I didn't get it. This series of questions seems to be lacking in clear direction and resolution. The first question ponders the ultimate outcome of the conversations, but no answer is provided. The second statement simply emphasizes the absence of a proper conclusion. The third question poses a rather strange and perhaps rhetorical query about the whereabouts of the women and speculates about a possible illness that affects only females. However, there is no further exploration or explanation. Finally, the admission of not understanding adds to the overall sense of confusion and lack of clarity. It leaves the reader wondering what the point of these statements is and what, if anything, can be gained from them.

Perhaps further discussion or analysis is needed to make sense of these fragmented thoughts and to find some sort of meaning or conclusion.

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mmchan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The Great American Novel is a concept that has intrigued and challenged writers for generations.

It is often regarded as the epitome of literary achievement, a work that encapsulates the essence of American life, values, and culture.

The idea of the Great American Novel has evolved over time, reflecting the changing social, political, and economic landscapes of the United States.

Some of the most famous works of American literature, such as "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, and "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, are often considered contenders for the title of the Great American Novel.

However, the definition of what constitutes the Great American Novel remains elusive and subjective.

Some believe that it must be a work of great artistic merit, while others emphasize its ability to capture the zeitgeist of a particular era.

Regardless of the definition, the search for the Great American Novel continues to inspire and motivate writers to create works that will stand the test of time and become a part of the literary canon.
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Sweetsinger9
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This is Herman Melville's last strange novel, and it's evident why. The plot is extremely nebulous, which doesn't assist matters. A Mississippi steamboat leisurely floats down the river, picking up and disembarking passengers along the way, from St. Louis to New Orleans in the antebellum south before the Civil War. Set on April Fool's Day, it's a hint to the narrative. Apparently, on board is a confidence-man, hence the title (maybe more than one, possibly many). It offers a glimpse into the struggles of Americans on the edge of civilization, with the untamed West nearby. Manifest Destiny, the 19th-century doctrine of the nation, has come to fruition. However, the people on the Fidele (the name of the vessel) are a gullible lot. They believe nefarious characters with their sob stories and get-rich-quick schemes. As a person remarks, it's "A Ship of Fools".

A cripple begs for alms, but some don't believe his infirmity. Others even doubt the color of his skin. Especially a man with a wooden leg shows no sympathy. He claims to be a poor Mexican War veteran from 1846 - 1848, but is it quite true? He has a hard heart, like his false appendage. An old miser gives money to a perfect stranger. A dubious conclusion follows as he wants to invest in the stock market, and the slick-speaking con man, a silver-tongued devil, absconds without leaving a receipt. A snake oil salesman promises cures for the hopelessly infirm, but the overpriced bottles are as effective as a fish on land.

The Cosmopolitan man, as he is known on board the grand Fidele (faithful in French), is very persuasive, well-dressed, has a calm nature, and appears to be a real gentleman. Somehow, he gets the boat's cynical barber to trust his customers, gives credit, and takes down a sign which states the opposite view. The businessman will soon regret this error. The passengers begin to ask questions, but the man or men are great speakers, and ill people want miracles. It still holds true today that sense goes out the window, and only the recovery of their health matters. Melville, in the novel, makes fun of Emerson and his disciple Thoreau in an around-about way. The former whaler knows about life and is not impressed by a silly philosophy. The book will infuriate numerous readers because of its hidden meanings and unclear intrigues. Secrets are never revealed as to who the villain is. Yet, humans are basically unchanged from era to era, with the good, the bad, and the victims.
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jerrybratle
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The Confidence Man is an extremely cryptic book.

Poorly received during its time, it was the last book he published in his lifetime. It is part morality play, part theatre, part absurd - in fact, it is very difficult to label.

At the beginning, the revolving characters reminded me of Chaucer's Tales (a possible inspiration for Melville?). And then I also thought of Richard Linkletter's cult classic first movie, Slacker, where each character introduces us to a new one and then vanishes.

If I compared A Brief History of Seven Killings to Caraveggio, I would compare The Confidence Man to a Rembrandt painting - a quiet chiaroscuro lit by candles and snuffed out at the end.

It has a very post-modern narrative structure, complete with recursive stories and chapters that break the fourth wall, where the narrator addresses us directly.

I would have given it 3.5 stars, but since it is Melville and it was so influential on Pynchon and DFW, I'll settle with four and encourage you to try this one after you conquer the White Whale.
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Inihara
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Are you prepared for an exciting riverboat ride along the river? Are you ready to embark on an adventure that will take you on a wild journey? Well, that's precisely what awaits you when you step aboard Melville's literary steamboat. His book, with its intricate prose, Shakespearean language, and profound parables of charity and trust, chugs along the Mississippi, cutting through the very heart of the country and delving deep into the core of human nature. It even slices open the corpse of philosophy, because, after all, it's Melville. It's April Fool's Day, and the masquerade has begun.


The Devil himself has descended the Mississippi, seeking to play a trick. Hermes is your cabin mate, Loki is your card-playing companion, and Iago whispers your fate in your ear. Don't be overly concerned about your wallet; they're in it for the entertainment. As the saying goes, "How much money did the devil make by gulling Eve?" And when you sit down to share a glass of wine with them, don't waste time wondering if it's port or poison. Maybe there's no harm in being tricked. Writers do it all the time, and we often enjoy it. What if the confidence man is correct? We must have faith in our fellow human beings. True, there are tricksters in the world, but they are an integral part of it. They shape this world. So why should we distrust all of humanity because of a few cunning individuals? It will only consume your soul. So, listen to the Devil, give him a few dollars, and perhaps he has a valid point: "Hope is proportioned to confidence."
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ZaneVsk
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This is the kind of book that could’ve gone on forever. It might have concluded only when the author’s spleen and/or exuberance gave out. Melville even admitted as much with the last sentence:

Something further may follow of this Masquerade.

However, this reader is glad it didn’t, as his enthusiasm for the book faded toward the end. This isn’t necessarily a knock on the book, since The Confidence Man is almost more of a conceptual piece than a novel. That means the idea is as important, or even more so, than the actual execution, and the idea is a winner.

The entire novel takes place aboard a boat traveling down the Mississippi from St. Louis to New Orleans, and all the action occurs on a single day, April 1. The main character (or characters) is a confidence man who shape-shifts into at least six personages during the journey, ranging from a crippled black man to a gregarious white cosmopolitan. But this is all inference by the reader, as Melville treats all his manifestations as separate and distinct beings, playing the confidence man himself and never admitting the deception.

All of these avatars of the con man attempt to fleece their fellow passengers in one way or another. But as they do so, they are also, through Melville, calling attention to hot button issues of the day. These include Native American widows and orphans in need of assistance, the proliferation of so many different bank notes issued by various banks that people couldn’t distinguish real money from fake, and the popularity of Emerson and Transcendentalism (which Melville apparently loathed). So Melville uses the format as a vehicle for social commentary, but I think his larger concerns were with personal identity and faith.

Reading The Confidence Man can induce a very curious state of mind. It’s a state in which one doesn’t know how to take anything, as if presented with a substantive riddle with no solution. So reading the book itself becomes an issue of faith, of moving forward through irreducible uncertainty. Much of this is due to the fact that the confidence man is one of, if not the most, sympathetic characters on the boat. As he moves from personage to personage, imploring them to have faith, to have trust and confidence in them, the few who refuse to fall for his ploys are the meanest and most ingrown characters of the bunch. It’s as if by refusing faith, even in a flimflammer, one reduces and circumscribes one’s life to such a degree as to become a crabbed asocial nutjob.

In this way, Melville emphasizes the importance of faith, but from a cynical angle. It’s as if it’s the only option when living in a world where nothing is as it seems and nothing can be trusted in the traditional sense. In effect, he is saying that when living in a world where nothing can be trusted, the only healthy option is to trust everything. This can be construed, in terms of faith as a concept, as a kind of nihilistic Christianity, or even more accurately, Buddhism. There seems to be no over-arching “god” on Melville’s boat, just a big cloud of uncertainty and deception, of Maya. And reading the book itself gives the feeling of navigating through Maya, of navigating without any certain knowledge other than faith.
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