This book was extremely long winded.

The way it was written was so convoluted and verbose that my mind simply couldn't stay focused.

As I was reading, my thoughts would constantly drift away, making it a truly tiresome experience.

Due to these two major drawbacks, namely the excessive length and the lack of engaging writing style, I simply cannot give this book any stars.

It failed to hold my attention and failed to deliver any real value or enjoyment.

I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting and captivating read.

Set on a steamboat trip down the Mississippi in the mid-19th century, this remarkable book unfolds as a social satire through a series of vivid scenes. The passengers engage in lively dialogue and profound philosophical discussions. Among them is the eponymous confidence-man, who employs various disguises and cunning ploys in his attempts to "borrow" money.

A central theme that pervades the narrative is trust, and the numerous ways it can be exploited by an imposter. Although the metaphor is not explicitly extended, it is evident that the author has a broader intention. Melville challenges the very underpinnings of confidence in both commercial and spiritual domains. He artfully blurs the line between legitimate business and deceitful con artistry, as well as between sincere Christian charity and hypocritical posturing. This requires the reader's utmost attention to fully decipher.

Published in 1857, it stands as an early example of metafiction, replete with numerous embedded literary references. I firmly believe it would make an excellent candidate for in-depth analysis in a literature class. However, it does have a notable drawback. The characters engage in extensive philosophical pontification, which can become tiresome after a while. Undoubtedly clever, it may not appeal to everyone. It is not my personal favorite among Melville's works, yet I am still glad to have read it.

3.5

For a year in which I’ve already delved into the profound works of Waiting for Godot, Absalom, Absalom!, and The Passenger Duology, this particular book stands out as the wackiest, densest, and most intellectually challenging of my literary experiences in 2023. It truly speaks volumes about its unique nature. I am still in the process of grappling with and processing so many aspects of this puzzling story. However, it is clear that Melville is once again a master at what he does best. He constructs his tales with interminable layers of meaning, skillfully weaving a web that leaves the audience both entertained by the (albeit philosophizing) hilarity and haunted by the stops after pages of intense exploration. I am comfortable with calling this his best work, aside from The Whale. But then again, I still have quite a bit more to read from Herman Melville. Works like Pierre and Clarel look promising, so who knows what other literary treasures await me?

“Something further may follow of this masquerade.” This enigmatic statement leaves the door open for more exploration and discovery within the pages of Melville's works.

The novel describes the three-card players who can be encountered everywhere in the world, in two parts.

In the first part, in a story-like manner, it contains the stories of five or six three-card players.

The second part is more stable and has a philosophical narrative.

As mentioned in the book, it is a novel that proves the words "There is an interpersonal conspiracy system among the three-card players".

This novel not only presents the vivid and interesting stories of the three-card players but also delves into the deeper aspects of human nature and social phenomena through their experiences.

It makes readers think about the complex relationships and hidden rules in society.

The author's unique writing style and profound insights make this novel a remarkable work that attracts readers and leaves a deep impression.

Whether you are interested in stories or philosophical thinking, this novel is worth reading and savoring.

Each character seems like a swindler (a beggar, a stockbroker, a healer...), who in turn deceives others in a perpetual game of trust/distrust.

When reading it, it gave me the impression that the structure was very postmodern, and I must not be the only one because it is also commented on in the blurb.

This kind of portrayal of characters and the complex web of relationships they form create a sense of mystery and ambiguity.

The use of various archetypes, such as the beggar and the stockbroker, adds depth and diversity to the story.

It makes the reader question the true motives and identities of each character, and keeps them engaged in the narrative.

The postmodern structure further enhances this effect, as it challenges the traditional linear and straightforward storytelling methods.

Overall, the text presents a fascinating exploration of human nature and the dynamics of trust and deception in a postmodern context.

The word "con," of course, is derived from the word "confidence." To swindle a person, one must gain his confidence, then deceive him.

In "The Confidence-Man" (1857), characters and readers are kept off balance. Herman Melville turned his back on the novel form forever after this work. The book begins with a parade of knaves and suckers on a Mississippi steamboat trip started on April Fool's Day. There are many trusting fools and unscrupulous con men, and we often can't tell which is which or who exactly the people are whose natures we think we know. In many ways, these 45 chapters show a series of encounters between charlatans and their victims. Sometimes the chapters are self-contained scenes of dialogue among unnamed people; sometimes they lead into each other and scenes continue. It's clear to the reader that many of these con men are in league with each other, and many victims seem set up for the coming sting by others. But it's also possible that many or all of these charlatans are the same person in different disguises. Melville's sleight of hand lets readers try to figure it out.

In the first half, the novel's plot doesn't really progress; it's just a series of interesting encounters with sharp dialogue as the con men's marks sometimes give up their money (confidence) and sometimes escape. In the second half, there still isn't a forward-moving plot, but Melville does focus on "the Cosmopolitan" Frank Goodman. Goodman seems to want to see the good in people and quizzes/debates new "friends" about confidence, the nature of man, and good and evil. Goodman appears to be sincere, but Melville doesn't let us be sure. At one point, Goodman asks a friend for a hundred dollars, and the friend reacts with horror. Goodman says it's a hypothetical test, and the friend says he was just playing along with the joke. The rest of the book mostly consists of Goodman's conversations with that friend and, after the friend leaves, discussions with a man who warns him that the friend is a con man, and the novel's longest scenes with that newcomer's protege.

There's no real conclusion, but that's part of Melville's shell game that examines the nature of man and of confidences. The words of a character in "The Confidence-Man" could sum up Melville's approach: "What are you? What am I? Nobody knows who anybody is. The data which life furnishes, towards forming a true estimate of any being, are as insufficient to that end as in geometry one side given would be to determine the triangle."

"The Confidence-Man" is a satisfying novel. The fact that it doesn't reach a conclusive plot point or specifically tell the reader how to interpret what's happening is the point. This structure makes the novel ahead of its time and easy to admire. However, its lack of clarity, though intentional and appropriate, also makes it difficult to love.

Herman Melville is a renowned American author, but this particular work fails to reach the heights of his best novels.

It lacks the depth, complexity, and engaging narrative that are characteristic of his masterpieces.

The story may have some interesting elements, but overall, it doesn't have the same impact and staying power.

The characters are not as fully developed as in his other works, and the plot may seem a bit disjointed or unconvincing at times.

While it's not a terrible novel by any means, it simply doesn't measure up to the standards set by Melville's best works.

Perhaps it was an experimental piece or a work that didn't quite come together as he intended.

Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder that even great authors have their off days or works that don't achieve the same level of excellence as their others.

”There are doubts, sir, […] which, if man have them, it is not man that can solve them.”

This profound statement is likely one of the saddest and yet wisest in Melville's novel The Confidence Man. Published during his lifetime, this captivating book is filled with a gentle sadness about the nature and condition of man. This sadness is benevolently concealed beneath a veil of humor and learned crankiness. For instance, a hardnosed barber remarks,

”I sadly fear, lest you philanthropists know better what goodness is, than what men are.”

The book explores the nature of confidence in various aspects. Paradoxically, it raises numerous doubts in the reader's mind, leaving them clueless about the motives of the confidence man. We accompany him on his April Fool's Day deception campaign aboard the Mississippi steamer Fidèle. We're not sure how many identities he adopts or what his ulterior objective is. Could it be just money? If so, he's not very efficient, considering the time he spends extracting small sums from his victims.

There are moments when the reader gets the impression that the confidence man, especially as the cosmopolitan, is not even human but a "man-charmer," and when he seems to take on the likeness of a snake, giving him a touch of another time-honored cosmopolitan, the one with the cloven foot. This reminds us of the misanthropic warning of a passenger:

”[…] Money, you think, is the sole motive to pains and hazard, deception and deviltry, in this world. How much money did the devil make by gulling Eve?”

Here, we can return to the opening quotation. Even though one man may not resolve another man's doubt, if a person has a certain degree of general distrust, they may still find it within themselves to settle their doubts by coming to their own conclusions and trusting the workings of their own minds. No one else's thoughts are likely to help you come to terms with this Delphic Melvillian masterpiece.

On the surface, the plot of The Confidence Man is simplistic, almost nonexistent. We simply follow the confidence man in his tricks and skulduggery aboard the Fidèle. He poses as various characters, such as a herb-doctor, a crippled former slave, and a representative of the Black Rapids Coal Company. Like in Katherine Anne Porter's Ship of Fools, the Fidèle and its passengers are a micrososmic mirror of contemporary society. However, Melville's inventory-taking of the human condition is far less bitter and spiteful, despite being pessimistic at its core.

The confidence man's fellow passengers represent the whole spectrum of humanity (except for its fairer half), including frontiersmen, capitalists, scholars, misers, and religious men. They are all eager to engage in the most abstruse discussions about literature and philosophy. The reader gets to listen to conversations on the metaphysics of Indian-hating, the nature of Polonius's advice to his son, and the question of whether a friend should lend money to a friend in need. Everyone seems to have kissed the blarney stone repeatedly and loves to talk and tell stories.

At first, the reader may wonder about the general premise of the novel. Soon, it becomes clear that it is about confidence and charity. You may wonder why most passengers, even those who seem to be disciples of Distrust, are eventually led astray by the confidence man. His protestations about the necessity of confidence should be a warning to any half-clear-sighted person. But then, you may ask yourself whether the whole machinery of capitalism is not actually based on confidence, not in particular individuals, but in the system itself and its ability to function. Without believing in the potential of money to be exchanged for goods and services, society would quickly collapse, and this is where the confidence man has a point.

Even the narrator himself seems to have a problem with trusting the reader's willingness to follow him. Three times, the narrator makes general remarks about the art of storytelling, suspecting that the reader might argue that the characters are not consistent or that certain events are unrealistic. Here, he finally argues like the confidence man, saying,

”[i]t is with fiction as with religion: it should present another world, and yet one to which we feel the tie.”

If there is one writer I trust, it is Melville. His insight into human nature has not led him to abhor or look down upon it, as in Porter's case, but to accept it for what it is and respect its ambivalence. Even the foibles of human nature may sometimes lead to good. Of course, as with The Confidence Man, man's end remains in the dark, allowing for the hope that

”[s]omething further will follow of this Masquerade.”

It took me a full three months to read this book.

It was worthwhile, but only if you have a penchant for footnotes, obfuscation, and constant references to just about everything. Which, to some extent, I do.

I particularly relished the two chapters that parodied Emerson and Thoreau respectively.

There's also the chapter all about various boys, which lends credence to the "Melville's gay" theory.

I liked the random chapters every now and then where Melville directly addresses the reader, convincing us (or perhaps himself) that although the characters in novels are drawn from real life, we should cut them some slack if they seem unrealistic.

Melville argues that if they were entirely true to life, they would be boring.

I recall the reason I read any Melville in the first place. I was in one of those super hip and fancy cocktail bars, saying that if I were to write a novel, it would be about whaling in the mid-nineteenth century.

Dylan politely informed me that Moby Dick had already been written.

And then I was supremely freaked out by a portrait of Melville on the wall above our heads, which we'd perhaps only noticed subconsciously until that point.

Anyway, he does have a strange familiarity in his first-person narrative style that makes him seem oddly contemporary and relatable.

As he's discussing the doldrums of everyday existence, and then throws in a reference to having to go to the "customs-house," which transports you back to his time.

But you could just mentally substitute it with the DMV. The more things change...

Pensieri sparsi....

I have decided that with the more complex readings, I will write down my thoughts in progress, ideas that I jot down during the reading to then write a more complete review. However, in this case, unfortunately, the expectations were extremely high, and... the result has been disappointing.

The various reading steps...

- First day of reading (first chapter):

In its apparent simplicity, it seems a little complicated to understand. (Despite the brevity of the chapter)

- Page 46: perhaps I'm starting to get it. But I think I've found the problem... for now, apart from Guinea, no one has a name, but a particular descriptive used to refer to them (the man with the gray belly; the lame one; the one with the red band, who then perhaps is the one dressed in mourning; etc...); and despite it being very discursive, there are moments when I stop and think "who is speaking?".

- Page 140: perhaps... these are single episodes, but in some way all connected to each other?

It is not the easiest to interpret in my opinion (at least for a large part of the text)...

And then I stopped. I didn't write anything else because I really didn't know what to write. It was a complex reading, at times very interesting, but for most of the time... difficult.

It was enough to lose the thread for a second and I already didn't know where I was.

I'm sorry because I was hoping a lot from this reading... but, we didn't click.

BUONE LETTURE!!

Quite the slog through but I made it. Saw the ebook offer and clicked, thinking I had tackled it 50+ yrs ago. As I made my way through, I realized no, never a full read but a passage about “reasoning man” from Confidence-Man had stuck in my head, calling for further examination. This novel is not for the faint of heart. It's a very queer and somewhat depressing one, yet likely a good summation of Melville’s view on the American experience in the mid-19th century.

The vessel is described vividly. “Though her voyage of twelve hundred miles extends from apple to orange, from clime to clime, yet, like any small ferry-boat, to right and left, at every landing, the huge Fidèle still receives additional passengers in exchange for those that disembark; so that, though always full of strangers, she continually, in some degree, adds to, or replaces them with strangers still more strange; like Rio Janeiro fountain, fed from the Cocovarde mountains, which is ever overflowing with strange waters, but never with the same strange particles in every part.”

The passengers are a diverse lot. “As among Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims, or those oriental ones crossing the Red Sea towards Mecca in the festival month, there was no lack of variety. Natives of all sorts, and foreigners; men of business and men of pleasure; parlor men and backwoodsmen; farm-hunters and fame-hunters; heiress-hunters, gold-hunters, buffalo-hunters, bee-hunters, happiness-hunters, truth-hunters, and still keener hunters after all these hunters. Fine ladies in slippers, and moccasined squaws; Northern speculators and Eastern philosophers; English, Irish, German, Scotch, Danes; Santa Fé traders in striped blankets, and Broadway bucks in cravats of cloth of gold; fine-looking Kentucky boatmen, and Japanese-looking Mississippi cotton-planters; Quakers in full drab, and United States soldiers in full regimentals; slaves, black, mulatto, quadroon; modish young Spanish Creoles, and old-fashioned French Jews; Mormons and Papists Dives and Lazarus; jesters and mourners, teetotalers and convivialists, deacons and blacklegs; hard-shell Baptists and clay-eaters; grinning negroes, and Sioux chiefs solemn as high-priests. In short, a piebald parliament, an Anacharsis Cloots congress of all kinds of that multiform pilgrim species, man.”

The discourse on various topics is engaging. Close quarters provide opportunities for strong, one-sided, and unsolicited opinions. There are discussions on literature, like the view on Tacitus being “poison, moral poison.” There's also talk about high finance, with the “bears” being blamed for the depression. Good cheer is advocated, with the idea of being “cheerfully resigned to one’s fate.” Different kinds of confidence are explored, as well as friendship at first sight. The author's purpose seems to be a matter of debate, and there are also mentions of the Yankee way and American optimism.

There's much to ponder here. Is Melville lacking confidence in voyage outcomes? It's an interesting question that leaves the reader with food for thought.

An arduous read indeed. I managed to plow through just 4 pages a day. It was extremely tough going, but somehow I persevered and finished it. Only my great admiration for the author kept me going. I would not recommend this to anyone who has not read his other works first. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a classic, of course. However, if you're looking for something a bit lighter, you might want to try Typee and Omoo. Both are exciting South Seas adventure stories. Later on, once you're hooked, after enjoying the diverting White Jacket and Redburn and their stories, you may find yourself ready to move on to the more unusual works like this one and the virtually unreadable Pierre: or, The Ambiguities.