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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Confidence-Man: His Masquerade</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/confidence-man-his-masquerade--7143351</link><description><![CDATA[Immerse yourself in a world where deception and self-presentation weave a complex tapestry of human interaction, as suggested by the title Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. This podcast delves into themes of identity, morality, and the intricate dance between sincerity and artifice. Each episode features a new complete audiobook, inviting listeners to explore the nuances of human behavior through a rotating collection of narratives that challenge perceptions and provoke thought. The stories range from sharp cultural satire to profound philosophical explorations, all reflecting the timeless struggle between truth and illusion. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that encourage introspection and broaden understanding. Discover a new book with every episode and engage with the multifaceted nature of confidence, trust, and the masks we wear in society.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7143351/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Satire Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg</url><title>Confidence-Man: His Masquerade</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/confidence-man-his-masquerade--7143351</link></image><lastBuildDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:31:33 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Satire Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker80@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Immerse yourself in a world where deception and self-presentation weave a complex tapestry of human interaction, as suggested by the title Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. This podcast delves into themes of identity, morality, and the intricate dance...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Immerse yourself in a world where deception and self-presentation weave a complex tapestry of human interaction, as suggested by the title Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. This podcast delves into themes of identity, morality, and the intricate dance between sincerity and artifice. Each episode features a new complete audiobook, inviting listeners to explore the nuances of human behavior through a rotating collection of narratives that challenge perceptions and provoke thought. The stories range from sharp cultural satire to profound philosophical explorations, all reflecting the timeless struggle between truth and illusion. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that encourage introspection and broaden understanding. Discover a new book with every episode and engage with the multifaceted nature of confidence, trust, and the masks we wear in society.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Science"/><itunes:category text="Science"><itunes:category text="Nature"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>1cd60f78-f8cf-5f02-81e2-edd6897922a2</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Man with the Hoe and Other Poems-Edwin Markham</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/man-with-the-hoe-and-other-poems-edwin-markham--75040753</link><description><![CDATA["Man with the Hoe and Other Poems" by Edwin Markham is a compelling collection that captures the struggles and dignity of the working class, particularly through its iconic title poem, which reflects on the plight of laborers. Markham's poignant verses resonate with themes of social justice and the human condition, making the collection timeless and relevant. The emotional depth and vivid imagery invite listeners to reflect on the enduring challenges faced by those who toil for their livelihood. As we navigate contemporary issues of inequality and workers' rights, this collection serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of empathy and solidarity.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75040753</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:03:45 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/75040753/man_with_the_hoe_and_other_poems_edwin_markham.mp3" length="42247470" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Man with the Hoe and Other Poems" by Edwin Markham is a compelling collection that captures the struggles and dignity of the working class, particularly through its iconic title poem, which reflects on the plight of laborers. Markham's poignant...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Man with the Hoe and Other Poems" by Edwin Markham is a compelling collection that captures the struggles and dignity of the working class, particularly through its iconic title poem, which reflects on the plight of laborers. Markham's poignant verses resonate with themes of social justice and the human condition, making the collection timeless and relevant. The emotional depth and vivid imagery invite listeners to reflect on the enduring challenges faced by those who toil for their livelihood. As we navigate contemporary issues of inequality and workers' rights, this collection serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of empathy and solidarity.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5276</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Four Noncanonical Sherlock Holmes Short Stories-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/four-noncanonical-sherlock-holmes-short-stories-sir-arthur-conan-doyle--74634124</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74634124</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:03:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74634124/four_noncanonical_sherlock_holmes_short_stories_sir_arthur_conan_doyle.mp3" length="47656455" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5951</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Moo Cow Tales-Rosamund Edith Nesbit Bland</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/moo-cow-tales-rosamund-edith-nesbit-bland--74601224</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74601224</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:03:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74601224/moo_cow_tales_rosamund_edith_nesbit_bland.mp3" length="15166551" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. 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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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1894</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>History of the United States, Vol. III-Charles Austin Beard, Mary Ritter Beard</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/history-of-the-united-states-vol-iii-charles-austin-beard-mary-ritter-beard--74568463</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74568463</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:03:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74568463/history_of_the_united_states_vol_iii_charles_austin_beard_mary_ritter_beard.mp3" length="98693711" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12324</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Trees and Other Poems-Joyce Kilmer</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/trees-and-other-poems-joyce-kilmer--74537204</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74537204</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:09:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74537204/trees_and_other_poems_joyce_kilmer.mp3" length="23846663" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. 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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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2978</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Romance of a Mummy and Egypt-Théophile Gautier</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/romance-of-a-mummy-and-egypt-theophile-gautier--74505722</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74505722</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:08:58 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74505722/8454_romance_of_a_mummy_and_egypt_the_ophile_gautier.mp3" length="212277870" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26508</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>House of Cobwebs and Other Stories-George Gissing</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/house-of-cobwebs-and-other-stories-george-gissing--74467118</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74467118</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:08:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74467118/house_of_cobwebs_and_other_stories_george_gissing.mp3" length="278823843" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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. 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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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74434356</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:08:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74434356/traveller_from_altruria_william_dean_howells.mp3" length="219480119" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27408</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>The Tables of the Law; &amp; The Adoration of the Magi</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tables-of-the-law-the-adoration-of-the-magi--74393191</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74393191</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:15:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74393191/the_tables_of_the_law_the_adoration_of_the_magi.mp3" length="20458489" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2555</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ten Days in the Light of Acca-Julia M. Grundy</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ten-days-in-the-light-of-acca-julia-m-grundy--74350329</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74350329</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:00:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74350329/ten_days_in_the_light_of_acca_julia_m_grundy.mp3" length="110408189" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13787</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Dreams-Olive Schreiner</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dreams-olive-schreiner--74210420</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74210420</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:09:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74210420/dreams_olive_schreiner.mp3" length="70006545" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8742</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Short Stories (Version 2)-Fyodor Dostoyevsky</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/short-stories-version-2-fyodor-dostoyevsky--74163824</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74163824</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:09:29 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74163824/short_stories_version_2_fyodor_dostoyevsky.mp3" length="271741722" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33934</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Is Shakespeare Dead-Mark Twain</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/is-shakespeare-dead-mark-twain--74119322</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74119322</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:56:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74119322/is_shakespeare_dead_mark_twain.mp3" length="85255632" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade was the last major novel by Herman Melville, the American writer and author of Moby-Dick. 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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)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10646</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Fiend's Delight-Ambrose Bierce</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/fiend-s-delight-ambrose-bierce--73399336</link><description><![CDATA["Fiend's Delight" by Ambrose Bierce invites listeners into a world where the boundaries of morality and human nature are tested. This collection showcases Bierce's sharp wit and incisive commentary, reflecting on themes of deception, trust, and the darker sides of human existence. 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This collection showcases Bierce's sharp wit and incisive commentary, reflecting on themes of deception, trust, and the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Fiend's Delight" by Ambrose Bierce invites listeners into a world where the boundaries of morality and human nature are tested. This collection showcases Bierce's sharp wit and incisive commentary, reflecting on themes of deception, trust, and the darker sides of human existence. The exploration of these timeless themes remains relevant today, as they challenge us to examine our own beliefs and the facades we encounter in society. Bierce's masterful storytelling and keen observations make this audiobook an essential listen for those who appreciate literature that provokes thought and introspection. Engaging with "Fiend's Delight" offers a chance to reflect on the complexities of life and the nature of confidence itself.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8735</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/a48eaec4ebccb4197ff6be72539055fd.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Confidence-Man His Masquerade - Herman Melville - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/confidence-man-his-masquerade-herman-melville-part-2--72760075</link><description><![CDATA[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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72760075</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:00:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72760075/confidence_man_his_masquerade_herman_melville_part_2.mp3" length="37526090" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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. 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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)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72760073</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:58:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72760073/confidence_man_his_masquerade_herman_melville_part_1.mp3" length="277430055" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Herman Melville</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>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...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[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. 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