The Confidence-Man : His Masquerade by MELVILLE, Herman (1918-1891) - 1923

London: Constable [through 1924], 1923. First Edition thus. Decorative Cloth. Fine. Limited Edition (one of only 750 copies printed) of Melville's last published novel, with Sadleir's bibliography of the author's prose works. Tall, thick 8vo: viii,358pp. Publisher's slate-blue cloth, spine and covers paneled in blind, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges rough-cut, coated maroon end papers, title page in French blue and black. A superb copy, virtually pristine, firmly and squarely bound, pages clean and crisp. BAL 13680. Jones & Newman 15. Volume XII of the 16-volume Works of Herman Melville, Standard Edition, publication of which marked a key event in the Melville revival of the 1920s, which rescued the neglected writer from obscurity and secured him a prominent place in the American literary canon. Set on April Fool's Day aboard the Fidèle, a steamship heading down the Mississippi River, The Confidence-Man "introduces the reader to a bewildering array of characters, one of whom is a skilled confidence man who appears throughout the book in a variety of disguises. The theme is trust—the limits of belief in society. Melville examines the heart of humankind and finds it as corrupt as Mark Twain did in his later works. . . . Critics have struggled with The Confidence Man, and perhaps no other book of Melville's has been judged as variously. Some view it as Melville's greatest achievement next to Moby Dick; others maintain that it is a brilliant failure, a 'non-novel' lacking plot or character development." (enotes) The author Michael McDowell comes down firmly: "I say without hesitation that is the most fundamentally unsettling, powerful, and influential book I have ever opened." (Jones & Newman) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).