Who would you write it for?
Mark Twain said what? Remarkable book dedications and their stories
These might be memorable titles written by renowned authors, but sometimes the dedications are just as remarkable as the rest of the volume. Have you ever read the lines tucked into the opening pages of famous books? Some are chilling, some funny, some thought-provoking—and we’ve gathered a list of particularly interesting ones!
Image: Hưng Lê
1
Don’t question the author
In his usual sarcastic style, Mark Twain wrote in the opening "Notice" of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn : "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." It’s an unforgettable way to open a classic.
Image: Amaan Ali
2
What you don’t know…
In the book This Boy’s Life, Tobias Wolff wrote: "My first stepfather used to say that what I didn’t know would fill a book. Well, here it is."
It’s a dark but funny recounting of his turbulent youth in this memoir, so the line is a perfect setup for what’s to come.
Image: Markus Spiske
3
About loyalty
In her book Dark Places , thriller writer Gillian Flynn wrote: "What can I say about a man who knows how I think and still sleeps next to me with the lights off?"
The author of Gone Girl tipped her hat to her husband, Brett Nolan, here. Who doesn’t want a partner who accepts us fully—even if we spend our days writing about murky crimes?
Image: Niranjan V S
4
Cosmic love
If you’re a romantic, try not to swoon over Carl Sagan’s dedication in Cosmos : "In the vastness of space and the immensity of time, it is my joy to share a planet and an epoch with Annie."
This beautiful line of cosmic love was dedicated to his wife and collaborator, Ann Druyan. And the book that follows is a science classic.
Image: Jayshree Sharma
5
A touch of fantasy
Ken Kesey’s famous book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest , set in a psychiatric ward, wouldn’t be cataloged as fantasy at all. And yet, its memorable dedication reads: "To Vik Lovell, who told me dragons did not exist, then led me to their lairs."
Image: Ali Müftüoğulları
6
The inclusive take
John Cheever had a good idea in his dedication of The Wapshot Chronicle : "To M with love, and with best wishes to practically everybody else I know." A playful and inclusive way to make sure you leave out no one who matters! It was his debut novel, and it won the National Book Award.
Image: Andrew Neel
7
The vengeful one
This one is dark but packs a memorable punch. The dedication of No Thanks , by E. E. Cummings, is simply a list of names—the 14 publishers who turned his work down. But here’s the unforgettable bit: the words are arranged on the page in the shape of an urn.
Image: Gaspar Uhas
8
Thanking the parents
Comedian Judd Apatow dedicated his book Sick in the Head to his loving parents: "For Mom and Dad. Your support—and the mental health issues you gave me—made all of this possible." Tongue in cheek, just as fans would expect from him.
Image: Lucas George Wendt
9
Chilling and sobering
Powerful: Toni Morrison’s dedication in Beloved is simply the phrase "Sixty million and more," referring to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. No verbs, no explanations—just five heavy, sobering words to leave readers thinking.
Image: Isaac N.
10
About undying love
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is, after all, a story steeped in undying love. His dedication was fitting: "Once again, to Zelda." It’s a brief but heartfelt nod to his wife and muse.
Image: Girl with red hat
11
An offering
John Steinbeck’s East of Eden opens with a sort of letter. It’s longer than this, but it begins with an anecdote in which "Pat" asked him to give him a box to fill with things. The dedication reads:
"Dear Pat… Well, here’s your box… Nearly everything I have is in it… all the gratitude and love I have for you. And still the box is not full. JOHN."
Image: Jouwen Wang
