{"product_id":"the-confidence-man-his-masquerade","title":"The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn this Mississippi steamboat, a stranger may ask for your money—or something harder to recover: your trust.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is April Fools’ Day aboard the Fidèle, bound downriver toward New Orleans. Passengers from every walk of American life meet strangers with causes to press and stories to sell. In Herman Melville’s The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, a request for charity becomes a test of judgment. Who deserves belief, and what does kindness risk?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Guinea begs for coins while the crowd weighs his honesty. Pitch, a suspicious Missouri bachelor, prides himself on resisting deception. Frank Goodman offers warmth and friendship. Through sharp dialogue and uneasy comedy, Melville explores the gap between generous words and selfish acts. He gives you no easy way to separate honest faith from a swindler’s trick.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll discover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKindness under suspicion\u003c\/strong\u003e – Watch a plea for help turn strangers into judges of another person’s worth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA stubborn doubter\u003c\/strong\u003e – Meet Pitch, whose fierce distrust raises questions about the cost of never being fooled.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFriendship put to trial\u003c\/strong\u003e – Follow conversations that test whether warm words can survive another person’s need.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSatire with sharp teeth\u003c\/strong\u003e – Explore charity, commerce, and moral righteousness through encounters where every claim invites doubt.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYour judgment at stake\u003c\/strong\u003e – Listen closely as shifting identities and uncertain motives make you question whom to believe.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers who enjoy satire, dialogue, and puzzles about human nature, or want to meet Melville beyond his sea stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page and join the passengers—you have a stranger’s story to weigh.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"eBook","offer_id":58289364992348,"sku":"LOA-C1490-EB","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audiobook — Coming soon","offer_id":58289365025116,"sku":"LOA-C1490-AU","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":58289365057884,"sku":"LOA-C1490-PB","price":10.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":58289365090652,"sku":"LOA-C1490-HC","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/1490_The_Confidence_Man_His_Masquerade__standard__ebook__pages-294__trim-6x9in__1800x2700px.jpg?v=1784150560","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/it\/products\/the-confidence-man-his-masquerade","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}