| CUL Home | > | Fondren Library Center | > | Exhibits | > | Books of the Millenium | > | First Folio of Shakespeare's plays |
Since the task of choosing "the most important book" of a millennium is an impossible task, any choice has a quality of the arbitrary about it. I chose the First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays for a variety of reasons. First, Shakespeare has become the most widely read and influential writer in the English language. Indeed, he transcends not only British but also Western culture. Anyone who wishes to be educated must have some acquaintance with Shakespeare.
Second, the First Folio was the first comprehensive attempt to gather all of Shakespeare's works. All editors of Shakespeare begin with the First Folio. As a result, this 1623 book was one of the first attempts to exercise editorial judgment and to establish a true and reliable text. Scholars and critics, not only of Shakespeare but also of all writers, have worked to improve those scholarly processes ever since.
Jasper Neel
Dean, Dedman College
