Modeste Mignon (1829)

Three men, a duke, a lawyer, and a poet, wage a courtship contest for a young lady's hand. Somewhat like a ten round boxing match, not one of punches but of one of words and deeds. The targetted audience? Young women? Don't be discouraged by the long drawn out series of love letters at the beginning, the author actually cuts them short midstream and pokes fun at himself for including so many. The best part is at the beginning of the contest with all the verbal fireworks delivered by the author and the poet who has the habit of continually contradicting himself.

(Long, Modeste Mignon, mdmgn10.txt)