"Crotchet Castle" by Thomas Love Peacock is a novel published in 1831. The story assembles a collection of eccentrics, each obsessed with peculiar notions, generating humor through their clashing conversations. Among them are a clergyman suspicious of intellectual progress, a romantic who believes civilization peaked in the twelfth century, and a cynical lady determined to marry for money. The action unfolds during a house party and a journey toward Wales, culminating in a parody of contemporary riots. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.