PARIS (AP) — An accidental discovery in a northern French library of an original first folio of Shakespeare’s plays — one of the rarest books in the world — has sent a jolt of excitement around the world of Shakespeare scholars.
The 900-page tome was authenticated by a respected U.S.-based scholar over the weekend.
The find brings the total of known first folios in the world to 233. It is significant as each first folio is a unique copy that can contain variations that can shed new light on the Shakespeare’s intentions.
“I was delighted. It’s a treasure,” said Remy Cordonnier, a Saint-Omer library director who discovered the book. The folio is said to have belonged to a Jesuit evangelist.
