The liar of the title is one Lelio, a young Venetian of good family who returns home after a long absence and is immediately embroiled in a series of hilarious escapades. Lelio's problem is that he seems unable to speak the truth when a whopping lie suits his purposes better - and the more the resultant complications multiply the more outlandish his fibs become. Before long he has thrown the budding romances of two lovely young sisters into a turmoil, discredited their rightful suitors, deceived his own befuddled father (who has not yet recognized him), and created such a tangle of misunderstandings that it appears doubtful whether things can ever be set straight. But, happily enough, the truth does ultimately triumph - and with all the verve and high comic style which has characterised the play throughout.
