Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Merrick, Leonard; J. M. Barrie, intro. Conrad in Quest of His Youth. E. P. Dutton, New York, 1919.
Price: US$12.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Limited to 1500 copies for sale. A volume in the Works of Leonard Merrick. 265 pages, 8vo, brown boards/cloth. Very good, small title label spine, cover corners worn, endpapers toned; dust jacket poor, soil, holes, front flap mostly missing
Seller: Abstract Books, Indianapolis, IN, U.S.A.
Price: US$19.24 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First impression of the first Collected Edition - with a seven-page Introduction by J. M. Barrie. ***Very good in navy-blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine, and a gilt monogram to the front board. The gilt is still beautifully bright. The boards are clean and unmarked, with very little wear considering the age of the book. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Spine unfaded. Edges of page block nice and clean. Binding square with no reading lean. Spine tight. Internally also very good with two neat contemporaneous owner's inscriptions to the front pastedown and first blank leaf. No foxing. Pages clean. Small marginal tears to the last couple of leaves where the pages have been roughly uncut - not affecting the text. No dustwrapper. ***195mm x130mm. 272 pages. ***'Leonard Merrick (21 Feb 1864 - 7 Aug 1939) was an English novelist. Although largely forgotten today, he was widely admired by his peers; J. M. Barrie called Merrick the "novelist's novelist." Merrick's novels include "Mr Bazalgette's Agent" (1888), a detective story; "Violet Moses" (1891), about a Jewish financier and his troubled wife; "The Worldlings" (1900), a psychological investigation of a crime; "Conrad in Quest of His Youth" (1903), the tale of a disillusioned man who, at thirty-seven, sets out to pick up the romantic threads of his younger life, which is "judged his most successful work" according to John Sutherland. George Orwell thought that this is because it is one of the few of his books which is not set against a background of poverty.' (Wiki) ***First impression of the first Collected Edition - with an Introduction by J. M. Barrie, in very nice original condition for a book that is now more than 100 years old. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
Seller: Orlando Booksellers, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Price: US$38.48 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: London. Chatto & Windus, London, 1919. Hardcover. First Edition. Fourth Impression published the same year. Small 8vo. 86pp. Cloth-backed marbled paper-covered boards with a tanned and chipped paper spine label. Portrait frontispiece, with tissue guard. Spine ends and corner tips and edges somewhat rubbed. Some quite light off-set browning from the frontis tissue to the adjacent title page. The author's first book, a novella detailing upper class society of late 19th century England, written in 1890 when she was just nine years old and retaining (most) of the juvenile spelling and punctuation. A publishing sensation and was reprinted eighteen times in 1919 alone. We also have a copy of the work she wrote with her sister and illustrated by Ralph Steadman 'Love and Marriage'.The boards will be protected with a new inert archival 100 micron sleeve which is removable. Please contact us if you would like any more information or additional images. Postage price quoted outside the UK is for a book up to 1kg using UPS. For books sent within the UK, there will be no extra charge for books up to 2kg which are sent by Royal Mail. Postage quoted in the UK is the actual cost (£3.45). All books are sent in protective packing and custom book box. If your book is intended as a gift, please let us know and we will gift wrap it free of charge with a card and any message.
Seller: Libris Books, Bristol, United Kingdom
Price: US$44.90 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: An eleventh impression copy of the charming The Young Visiters Or, Mr. Salteenas Plan. An eleventh impression.The Young Visiters Or, Mr. Salteenas Plan is a novel by Daisy Ashford which she wrote when she was nine year old, the innocence is part of the appeal of the novel and was reprinted 18 times in its first year.Daisy Ashford was an English writer best known for this work.With a preface by J. M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan.With a frontispiece. In quarter cloth with marbled boards. Externally, very smart with some light bumping to the head and tail of the spine and the extremities. With a previous owner inscription to the front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound with bright and clean pages. Good
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Ashford, Daisy. The Young Visiters. Chatto and Windus, 1919.
Price: US$44.90 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First edition, fourth impression June 1919. Printed just a month after the first impression. 12mo. 86pp. Quarter cloth with marbled boards, faded paper label to spine. Illustrated with a portrait frontis of the author aged nine years old and a facsimile of the first page of the original manuscript. With a preface by J M Barrie of Peter Pan fame. Written when the author was nine years old and published (many years later) as it was written, with some idiosyncratic spelling and grammar. Part of its enduring appeal is the innocence of the author and the child?s eye view of adult affairs. At the time some were dubious that it was written by a child, many thought that it was Barrie?s work. Despite these doubts, it was a runaway best seller on both sides of the Atlantic and inspired a stage play. Some edge wear etc to boards. Inner binding cracked at end of preface and in a couple of other places. Generally lovely and clean inside and still amusing over a century later.
Seller: Bird's Books, Edinburgh, SCOTL, United Kingdom
Merrick, Leonard,. CONRAD IN QUEST OF HIS YOUTH.. New York: Dutton, 1919. dj, 1919.
Price: US$45.00 + shipping
Description: Limited, uniform edition of Merrick's works - one of 1550 copies, 1500 of which are offered for sale. The first volume to be issued in this series, with an introduction by J. M. Barrie who refers to Merrick as the "novelists' novelist." NF/VG (some slight loss of paper at the ends of the spine, but overall very nice condition for a dw from this era.) Prev owner's name on ffep.
Seller: Bookfever, IOBA (Volk & Iiams), Ione, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$50.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First Edition. Limited Edition of 1550 copies, 1500 of which were for sale. This particular ltd. edition was the result of a collaboration amongst Merrick's peers:In 1918 fifteen writers, including famous authors such as H. G. Wells, J. M. Barrie, G. K. Chesterton and William Dean Howells, collaborated with publisher E. P. Dutton to issue "The Works of Leonard Merrick" in fifteen volumes, which were published between 1918 and 1922. Each volume in the series was selected and prefaced by one of the writers. Introduction by Sir J.M.Barrie.(Peter Pan)"Conrad Warrener, a man of near middle-age, reflects nostalgically on the happy times of his youth and decides to recapture them. However, what he learns about the "second time around" is neither what he expected nor what he hoped for." Cloth covered boards with buckram spine covering with pastedown title No dustjacket
Seller: ALEXANDER POPE, Kent, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$51.31 + shipping
Description: pp. 86, (ii). Portrait frontispiece. Original cloth-backed boards, uncut, paper spine label chipped, title browned by the now-absent tissue guard, very slight wear to corners and head of the spine, otherwise a very good copy. *Written when Daisy Ashford was nine years old, forgotten and refound and then published. At the age of four Daisy dictated her first story, The Life of Father McSwiney, to her father; it was published in 1983. From 1889 to 1896 she and her family lived at 44 St Anne's Crescent, Lewes, where she wrote The Young Visiters. She wrote several other stories; a play, A Woman's Crime; and one other short novel, The Hangman's Daughter, which she considered to be her best work. Some stories written by Ashford are lost.
Seller: Patrick Pollak Rare Books ABA ILAB, SOUTH BRENT, DEVON, United Kingdom
Price: US$70.55 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: An early impression of this children's novel written by a nine-year-old Daisy Ashford, with a frontispiece, facsimile plates, and a preface from J. M. Barrie. First edition, fourteenth impression.Illustrations include a frontispiece portrait of the young author, as well as one facsimile plate which shows the first page of the original manuscript.This is a charming novella by Daisy Ashford, written when the author was just nine years old. This little work included the original grammar and spelling mistakes expected from a child of that age, and was so popular that it was reprinted eighteen times in the first year of its publication.This work follows an 'elderly man of 42' named Alfred Salteena who invites a young woman named Ethel to stay with him, resulting in romantic feelings to develop. Other interesting characters include Lord Clincham and the Prince of Wales.Written by Daisy Ashford, also known as Margaret Mary Julia Devlin (1881-1972).With an introductory preface by J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) the celebrated Scottish novelist and creator of Peter Pan.Collated, complete. In the publisher's original quarter-cloth binding on marbled boards. Externally, smart. Edge wear to the extremities with bumping to the head and tail of spine. Light marks and fading to boards and spine, particularly the spine label. Institutional sticker to bottom of front paste down. Endpapers are lightly age toned. Internally, internally firmly bound, with binding loosening towards the middle of text. Pages are bright and generally clean, with light age-toning to margins and light spotting. Foxing to pages 19 to 25. Good
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$73.12 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: An early printing of this novel from a nine year old author, with an introductory preface from J. M. Barrie. This is an unusual novel from English writer Daisy Ashford, who wrote the work in 1890 at nine years old. In 1917 and aged 36, Ashford rediscovered her manuscript, prompting its publications. An exceedingly popular work, it was reprinted eighteen times in its first year alone. This is the fourteenth impression of the work, published four months after the first, and features a frontispiece photographic portrait of the author as a child.The work was published almost exactly as it was written, retaining the author's grammar and spelling errors. With a preface from J. M. Barrie, rumours soon started that the book was in fact an elaborate literary hoax and had been written by J. M. Barrie himself. These rumours persisted for years, but were never proven. In the publisher's original quarter cloth binding, with paper covered boards. Bumping to back strip head and tail, with rubbing to paper spine label. Fading to board perimeters, most concentrated to head of front board. Internally, firmly bound. Pages generally clean and bright, with the odd mark. Good
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$83.38 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: The fourteenth impression of this novel from a nine year old author, with an introductory preface from J. M. Barrie. An unusual novel from English writer Daisy Ashford, who wrote the work in 1890 at nine years old. In 1917 and aged 36, Ashford rediscovered her manuscript, prompting its publications. An exceedingly popular work, it was reprinted eighteen times in its first year alone. This is the fourteenth impression of the work, published four months after the first, and features a frontispiece photographic portrait of the author as a child, and a further plate showing the original manuscript. Collated, complete.The work was published almost exactly as it was written, retaining the author's grammar and spelling errors. With a preface from J. M. Barrie, rumours soon started that the book was in fact an elaborate literary hoax and had been written by J. M. Barrie himself. These rumours persisted for years, but were never proven. In the publisher's original quarter cloth binding, with marbled paper covered boards. Bumping to spine head and tail, with discolouration to spine label. Lacking front free endpaper. Hinges lightly strained, with boards holding firm. Internally, binding strained. Offsetting to title page, with pages otherwise clean and bright. Good
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$211.66 + shipping
Description: Seventh Impression. Small 8vo, pp. 86 [87 printer's imprint, 88 blank], portrait of author as frontispiece, facsimile of first page of ms. opposite page 19, contemporary (?original) marbled boards, linen spine, paper label (chipped); title-page browned from tissue guard, corners worn, a little shaken in casing. With the autograph "Rowena Ross" on the lower margin of the recto of the front free end-paper. Readers of a certain age will never get beyond the first line: "Mr Salteena was an elderly man of 42." Of course, the author was nine when she wrote the work.
Seller: John Price Antiquarian Books, ABA, ILAB, LONDON, United Kingdom