Picture London in the 1690s: a world of fancy clothes, gossip, and everyone trying to marry for money. At the center of it all is Valentine, a charming but hopelessly indebted young man. His father, Sir Sampson Legend, has a solution: he'll pay off Valentine's debts if Valentine signs away his right to any future inheritance. Broke and desperate, Valentine agrees. But then he gets a better idea—he pretends to have gone completely mad to get out of the awful bargain.

The Story

While Valentine is faking insanity, his younger brother, Ben, a rough-around-the-edges sailor, shows up to claim what he thinks is his birthright. Sir Sampson now wants Ben to marry the wealthy and witty Angelica, who happens to be the woman Valentine truly loves. The whole thing becomes a dizzying puzzle of who wants who, and for what reason. Angelica isn't fooled by any of it. She sees through the greed and plays the men against each other, testing their motives with a brilliant mix of teasing and genuine feeling. The plot twists with forged letters, a fake marriage contract, and servants who are smarter than their masters, all racing toward a final scene where true intentions are finally laid bare.

Why You Should Read It

I picked this up thinking it might feel like homework, but I was laughing out loud by the second act. The dialogue is unbelievably sharp. These characters roast each other with such style and cleverness that it feels incredibly modern. Under all the jokes about money and madness, Congreve is asking a real question: in a society obsessed with wealth, can you ever be sure someone loves you and not your bank account? Angelica is the absolute star—a heroine who uses her intelligence to navigate a world of foolish men, and she never once loses her cool. You're rooting for her the whole way.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect pick for anyone who loves clever dialogue, romantic chaos, and stories where the smartest person in the room is a woman. If you enjoy the verbal sparring of Jane Austen's characters or the intricate plots of Shakespeare's comedies, you'll feel right at home here. It's a brisk, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt look at the mess we make when we confuse love with finance. A sparkling reminder that some human dramas never go out of style.