Conrad In Quest Of His Youth was Merrick's most critically acclaimed book in his lifetime. In it, 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.

Leonard Merrick has largely been forgotten today, but he was once referred to by author J. M. Barrie as the “novelist’s novelist,” while George Orwell once described the author as a “good bad writer.” Many of his works were adapted to films during the 1920s and a biography of Merrick was written by William Baker and Jeannettes Robert Shumaker in 2009.

This book inspired the 1920 film directed by William C. DeMille (brother of Cecil B. DeMille). The comedy-drama, which starred Thomas Meighan as Conrad and Mabel Van Buren as Nina, is one of few films of the silent era that hasn’t been lost to time and it was released on DVD in 2014. 

Conrad in Quest of His Youth by Leonard Merrick

Publisher: Mitchell Kennerley; New York and London

Year: 1911, First American Edition

Condition: Great condition. Bright white lettering on front cover and spine over brilliant and unstained red binding. Pencil marking on front page, age spots and some light foxing throughout.

306 pages with four pages of advertisements. Hardcover.