The October 14 sale was the first time in nearly 20 years that a complete copy of the First Folio had come to auction. Without the First Folio some of Shakespeare's most famous lines would likely have been lost, including classics like "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," from Julius Caesar, and "If music be the food of love, play on," from Twelfth Night. The book's large size – previously reserved for law books and works of theology – helped raise Shakespeare's status in future years, Christie's books experts said. The First Folio marked the first time that Shakespeare's plays had been organised as comedies, tragedies and histories. It will ultimately serve as a centrepiece of a great collection of intellectual achievements of man," Loewentheil said in a statement. "It is an honour to purchase one of only a handful of complete copies of this epochal volume. It includes 18 plays that had never been published before and might have been lost, including Macbeth and Julius Caesar. The price also marked a new world auction record for any printed work of literature, and smashed the previous high of $6.16 million for a Shakespeare First Folio that was set in 2001, the auction company said.Ĭomedies, Histories and Tragedies was compiled by friends of the English playwright seven years after his death. From Margaret Atwood to Edward Snowden: eight must-stream sessions from Frankfurt Book Fair
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