The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger's Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare's First Folio

Being passionate about Shakespeare and an European transplanted to the States, I was curious about Folger and his library, so I decided to order the book. I really enjoyed every page of it! The first chapters are mostly about how the First Folio was conceived and published, with lots of interesting technical details and historical information. Homage is duly paid to Heminges and Condell, the two fellow-players and close friends of Shakespeare to whose loyalty and insight we owe the survival of the Bard's works today. Even if you are not particularly interested in history, these pages are easy to read,informative and interesting. The rest of the book is about Henry and Emily Folger's obsession for everything Shakespeare. The purchases of real treasures, like the Vincent First Folio, are described as a gripping tale of suspense... However, part of me could not help but feel sorry for England, depleted of so many precious books that are now only available in Washington. I had the impression that the author was a bit biased in favor of Folger, who was certainly a great business man but who was perhaps a little too possessive with his books. Still now, it seems, his wife Emily is the only person who was allowed to actually borrow from the library. In conclusion, the book was a very interesting and informative read, and you don't need to be a scholar or a student to enjoy it. It made me even more eager to see the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Fascinating for the period history, Folger biography and precise collection descriptions of the various First Folios (although you must have experienced some collecting in earnest to truly appreciate the level of detail and excitement of the "chase" in this book), as well as a wonderful primer on the early and later publication of Shakespeare's works.....easily accessible to the amateur and professionally researched for the more more advanced reader.....the architectural / interior design details and photo selections of the museum itself are outstanding. A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read about a world class collector and his obsession that whets the appetite for more of everything Shakespearean.

If you love books you've probably fantasized about having significant income with which to pursue your passion. And if you've ever collected any rarity--fine art, baseball cards, coins--you've also fantasized about discovering the next Big Thing, the rarity that no one else yet values highly. Henry Folger lived both of those fantasies and Mays's excellent book puts the reader in the middle of his quest to build a world-class collection. I strongly agree with other reviewers who said this book was a page-turner. And, like some other reviewers, I was put off by the author's view of Folger's and Rockefeller's business dealings, which is naïve at best; but reviewers who said they stopped reading as a result must read very little. I read a great deal of history and rarely agree with everything I read, but I'm not afraid to read contrary points of view. In fact, that's probably the healthiest kind of reading. The author's defense of Folger's business practices is a sidebar to the main focus of the book. Ignore it and enjoy one of the most fascinating stories you'll ever read. You'll be glad you did.

I had a lot of trouble getting into the first four chapters. They were very detailed and full of the "old English." After those chapters I enjoyed reading about Henry Folger.

Andrea Mays sets the stage meticulously. The first chapters of her book are spent explaining the way Shakespeare's works came to be printed and compiled in the first place. Then we learn about the whole printing business - boy, oh boy! And how folios or pamphlets came about and the whole attribution business and whatever happened to those old volumes to be replaced by something newer (was that a bust!). After we are sufficiently grounded in the nuts and bolts of publishing, we learn all there is to know about Henry Folger, an unlikely hero, who rose from almost having to leave Amherst for lack of money to the pinnacle of the Standard Oil empire. Together with his wife Emily, Folger spent enormous sums buying everything remotely connected with Shakespeare - First Folios were Folger's particular soft spot. Andrea Mays explains nicely in her Epilogue why Folger's buying, acquiring, secreting away in rented warehouses does not rise to the level of hoarding - probably because he spent a lot more on these books and stored them off-site. The next section of the book describes the planning and building of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, the same single-minded pursuit of the goal he used in his business dealings - to found a repository for all Shakespeare (and related) material (in particular the First Folios) in Washington D.C. Finally, the summary and conclusion - only here do we hear a word from the keen biographer. Yes, profits generated with Standard Oil stock made this library possible, but why sweep Folger's work under the rug? I loved this book - the many different characters are coming to life - the English gentleman, the bookseller with a motive, hungry heirs, and golf playing associates. Read all about it!

Well-researched and written. What begins as a fascinating treasure hunt winds up as a tale of greed and excess. Folger set up a library, but it seems more as a monument to himself and his ability to outmaneuver and out-buy others. His love of Shakespeare didn't seem to match up to his lust for old and precious artifacts. Went from inspiring to revolting. Note; this is not for lack of research or skill on the part of the author, which was extraordinary in both areas. The fault, dear reader, lies not in Mays, but in Folger, we that are underlings.

Really enjoyed the insight into the couple who almost singlehandedly gave the United States a singular research library. The initial low risk investment led to the subsequent desire to learn as much as possible about the physical evidence of Shakespeare, and finally the drive to collect as much as possible in hopes of learning the true nature of Shakespeare's works as originally written. Along the way, we are given insight into the Folgers' love of the Bard and the intricacies of high level collecting that was their shared bond. Interesting on many levels, as a history of the FSJ, the items it houses, and those who made it all possible.

Fascinating tale of a borderline bibliomaniac. But unlike Sir Thomas Phillipps, Henry Folger could afford his love of all things Shakespearian, and additionally the grand edifice to house it. The early chapters are filled with little known information on Shakespeare and his time. Very well-written and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Much material on the auction houses and high-end bookdealers of Folger's time. Perhaps I liked it more than most as I have been an antiquarian bookseller for some 40 years.