The Confidence-Man (1857)

Summary

Albany Evening Journal, 2 April 1857.

Herman Melville's new book, “The Confidence Man, His Masquerade” is published this week by Dix, Edwards & Co., and may be had here of Sprague & Co. It is like his other recent works, a story in which the incidents and characters are chosen with a view to convey a theoretic moral, not a vivid, graphic delineation based upon real life, like “Typee” and “Omoo.” Mr. MELVILLE is so much more successful in simple narrative than in apologue, that we cannot but regret that he should devote his time and genius to the latter rather than the former. His reputation, however, would ensure the sale of the book, even if its merits were much less than they are.

Boston Evening Transcript, 3 April 1857.

Dix, Edwards & Co., of New York, have just published a new work from the pen of Herman Melville, entitled “The Confidence Man; his Masquerade.” The volume will be warmly welcomed by the admirers of Omoo, Typee, the Piazza Tales, etc. Mr. Melville's writings have a peculiar character, and he has become so widely known, that any work from his pen is sure to find a host of readers. We commend this book as a unique affair.

Philadelphia North American and United States Gazette, 4 April 1857.

A sketchy affair, like other tales by the same author. Sly humor peeps out occasionally, though buried under quite too many words, and you read on and on, expecting something more than you ever find, to be choked off at the end of the book like the audience of a Turkish story teller, without getting the end of the story.