Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, The by Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)
The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. Published on April 1, 1857 (presumably the exact day of the novel's setting), The Confidence-Man was Melville's tenth major work in eleven years. The novel portrays a Canterbury Tales-style group of steamboat passengers whose interlocking stories are told as they travel down the Mississippi River toward New Orleans. The novel is written as cultural satire, allegory, and metaphysical treatise, dealing with themes of sincerity, identity, morality, religiosity, economic materialism, irony, and cynicism. Many critics have placed The Confidence-Man alongside Melville's Moby-Dick and "Bartleby the Scrivener" as a precursor to 20th-century literary preoccupations with nihilism, existentialism, and absurdism. (Introduction by Wikipedia)
Outstanding Project
09/18/2011
I have only previewed this book, but I want to commend the person who recorded this. Melville's works (other than 'Moby Dick') have been neglected - by LibriVox so far. 'Pierre', 'Israel Potter', and 'Clarel' still need to be recorded. Thank you for offering a recording of 'The Confidence Man'. It is much needed.
Until it is re-recorded, don't bother!
08/26/2012
Melville's works are terribly neglected by Librivox but I'm not sure what's worse: no recordings or recordings such as this one--intolerable. It sounds as if the reader is shouting his lines from center stage keeping in mind that the microphone is in the back row of the theater. HIs constant misplacement of emphasis via tone & volume result in a loud, breathy sing-song affect that often sounds like a foreign language. I REALLY wanted to hear this book read so I made it through chapter 6 but it was painful. Finally gave up and hope it will be re-recorded.
About
Information
- CreatorLibriVox
- Years Active2011 - 2021
- Episodes19
- Show Website