General Fiction

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The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade

By Herman Melville

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Length10h 36m

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On a Mississippi steamboat, a mysterious stranger adopts a series of disguises to test the faith and honesty of his fellow passengers. Each encounter is a masterclass in manipulation, questioning the very nature of trust in a world built on deception. This biting satire remains a chillingly relevant look at the masks we wear and the vulnerabilities they hide.

Satire Crime Hidden Identity Psychological Identity Antihero Mystery Betrayal Memory

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Rating★★★★ 3.6 (13K)

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GenreGeneral Fiction

Length10 hrs 36 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateFeb 24, 2026

LanguageEnglish

1CHAPTER I. A MUTE GOES ABOARD A BOAT ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

2CHAPTER II. SHOWING THAT MANY MEN HAVE MANY MINDS.

3CHAPTER III. IN WHICH A VARIETY OF CHARACTERS APPEAR.

4CHAPTER IV. RENEWAL OF OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

5CHAPTER V THE MAN WITH THE WEED MAKES IT AN EVEN QUESTION WHETHER HE BE A GREAT SAGE OR A GREAT SIMPLETON.

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6CHAPTER VI. AT THE OUTSET OF WHICH CERTAIN PASSENGERS PROVE DEAF TO THE CALL OF CHARITY.

7CHAPTER VII. A GENTLEMAN WITH GOLD SLEEVE-BUTTONS.

8CHAPTER VIII. A CHARITABLE LADY.

9CHAPTER IX. TWO BUSINESS MEN TRANSACT A LITTLE BUSINESS.

10CHAPTER X. IN THE CABIN.

11CHAPTER XI. ONLY A PAGE OR SO.

12CHAPTER XII. STORY OF THE UNFORTUNATE MAN, FROM WHICH MAY BE GATHERED WHETHER OR NO HE HAS BEEN JUSTLY SO ENTITLED.

13CHAPTER XIII. THE MAN WITH THE TRAVELING-CAP EVINCES MUCH HUMANITY, AND IN A WAY WHICH WOULD SEEM TO SHOW HIM TO BE ONE OF THE MOST LOGICAL OF OPTIMISTS.

14CHAPTER XIV. WORTH THE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE TO WHOM IT MAY PROVE WORTH CONSIDERING.

15CHAPTER XV. AN OLD MISER, UPON SUITABLE REPRESENTATIONS, IS PREVAILED UPON TO VENTURE AN INVESTMENT.

16CHAPTER XVI. A SICK MAN, AFTER SOME IMPATIENCE, IS INDUCED TO BECOME A PATIENT

17CHAPTER XVII. TOWARDS THE END OF WHICH THE HERB-DOCTOR PROVES HIMSELF A FORGIVER OF INJURIES.

18CHAPTER XVIII. INQUEST INTO THE TRUE CHARACTER OF THE HERB-DOCTOR.

19CHAPTER XIX. A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE.

20CHAPTER XX. REAPPEARANCE OF ONE WHO MAY BE REMEMBERED.

21CHAPTER XXII. IN THE POLITE SPIRIT OF THE TUSCULAN DISPUTATIONS.

22CHAPTER XXIII. IN WHICH THE POWERFUL EFFECT OF NATURAL SCENERY IS EVINCED IN THE CASE OF THE MISSOURIAN, WHO, IN VIEW OF THE REGION ROUND-ABOUT CAIRO, HAS A RETURN OF HIS CHILLY FIT.

23CHAPTER XXIV. A PHILANTHROPIST UNDERTAKES TO CONVERT A MISANTHROPE, BUT DOES NOT GET BEYOND CONFUTING HIM.

24CHAPTER XXV. THE COSMOPOLITAN MAKES AN ACQUAINTANCE.

25CHAPTER XXVI. CONTAINING THE METAPHYSICS OF INDIAN-HATING, ACCORDING TO THE VIEWS OF ONE EVIDENTLY NOT SO PREPOSSESSED AS ROUSSEAU IN FAVOR OF SAVAGES.

26CHAPTER XXVII. SOME ACCOUNT OF A MAN OF QUESTIONABLE MORALITY, BUT WHO, NEVERTHELESS, WOULD SEEM ENTITLED TO THE ESTEEM OF THAT EMINENT ENGLISH MORALIST WHO SAID HE LIKED A GOOD HATER.

27CHAPTER XXVIII. MOOT POINTS TOUCHING THE LATE COLONEL JOHN MOREDOCK.

28CHAPTER XXIX THE BOON COMPANIONS.

29CHAPTER XXX. OPENING WITH A POETICAL EULOGY OF THE PRESS AND CONTINUING WITH TALK INSPIRED BY THE SAME.

30CHAPTER XXXI. A METAMORPHOSIS MORE SURPRISING THAN ANY IN OVID.

31CHAPTER XXXII. SHOWING THAT THE AGE OF MAGIC AND MAGICIANS IS NOT YET OVER.

32CHAPTER XXXIII. WHICH MAY PASS FOR WHATEVER IT MAY PROVE TO BE WORTH.

33CHAPTER XXXIV. IN WHICH THE COSMOPOLITAN TELLS THE STORY OF THE GENTLEMAN MADMAN.

34CHAPTER XXXV. IN WHICH THE COSMOPOLITAN STRIKINGLY EVINCES THE ARTLESSNESS OF HIS NATURE.

35CHAPTER XXXVI. IN WHICH THE COSMOPOLITAN IS ACCOSTED BY A MYSTIC, WHEREUPON ENSUES PRETTY MUCH SUCH TALK AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED.

36CHAPTER XXXVII THE MYSTICAL MASTER INTRODUCES THE PRACTICAL DISCIPLE.

37CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE DISCIPLE UNBENDS, AND CONSENTS TO ACT A SOCIAL PART.

38CHAPTER XXXIX. THE HYPOTHETICAL FRIENDS.

39CHAPTER XL. IN WHICH THE STORY OF CHINA ASTER IS AT SECOND-HAND TOLD BY ONE WHO, WHILE NOT DISAPPROVING THE MORAL, DISCLAIMS THE SPIRIT OF THE STYLE.

40CHAPTER XLI. ENDING WITH A RUPTURE OF THE HYPOTHESIS.

41CHAPTER XLII. UPON THE HEEL OF THE LAST SCENE THE COSMOPOLITAN ENTERS THE BARBER’S SHOP, A BENEDICTION ON HIS LIPS.

42CHAPTER XLIV. IN WHICH THE LAST THREE WORDS OF THE LAST CHAPTER ARE MADE THE TEXT OF DISCOURSE, WHICH WILL BE SURE OF RECEIVING MORE OR LESS ATTENTION FROM THOSE READERS WHO DO NOT SKIP IT.

43CHAPTER XLV. THE COSMOPOLITAN INCREASES IN SERIOUSNESS.

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