Book dedications have been around for a long time. Back then, they were usually written to praise the rich people who supported the authors. It was hard to make a living just by selling books! Nowadays, dedications are mostly for showing love or thanks to people the author cares about.
The dedication page is one of those parts of a book, like the acknowledgments or bibliography, that people often skip. But sometimes, if you do read it, you’ll find something really strange or funny instead of the usual nice messages to friends and family. Some authors write dedications that are just plain weird, super funny, or even shocking. Here are 10 book dedications that are definitely out of the ordinary.
Romantic Copper: Its Lure and Lore by Ira B. Joralemon
Lots of writers make jokes about the sweet, sappy dedications you often see at the beginning of books. Instead of those emotional tributes, some authors will make sarcastic comments about their family, or even say they were forced to dedicate the book to them.
What geologist and author Ira B. Joralemon wrote about his wife in the dedication of his 1934 book, Romantic Copper: Its Lure and Lore, is definitely not romantic and pretty unusual. Some people might think it’s a playful joke, but others might find it insulting.
After mentioning some good things about her, Joralemon says his wife “ain’t so good lookin’ so that any other fellar besides myself is likely to get stuck on her.”
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
The authors of My Lady Jane, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, did a couple of strange but funny things in their dedication. The book is a young adult fantasy based on the life of Lady Jane Grey, a British queen from the 1500s who got caught up in politics. She’s known as the “Nine Days Queen” because she only ruled for that long before she was killed.
In their dedication, the authors wrote: “For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door. And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.”
The apology to England makes sense because My Lady Jane changes a lot of the facts. But the reference to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the movie Titanic is funny even though it doesn’t really have anything to do with the book.
Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World by Derek Landy
Some writers get super creative with their book dedications, and they almost become little stories. Derek Landy is known for writing long, funny, and weird dedications. In one book, he said he was forced to dedicate it to his editor. In another, he joked about being jealous of his nieces because they got so much attention.
In Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World, he dedicated the book to his cover artist, Tom Percival. Landy starts by saying how much praise he’s gotten for the covers. Then, he jokes about designing the covers himself, saying: “I think it’s a generally agreed upon fact that I could draw the covers if I really wanted to. I have the raw talent, the eye, and I have that one year of art college under my belt.”
Landy goes on to say that Percival probably knows all this and feels threatened, which is why he works so hard. Landy ends the dedication by saying to Percival, “P.S. You’re Welcome.”
Liber de Illustribus Henricis by John Capgrave
John Capgrave, a friar from the 1400s, used the dedication of his book about English history to switch political sides during the War of the Roses. He had dedicated his book Liber de Illustribus Henricis to Henry VI, praising the king. But after Edward IV took over, Capgrave used the dedication page of his next book to support the new king.
Some people criticize Capgrave for being disloyal, while others say that writers back then needed the support of powerful people. So, his actions were just a sign of the times. Flattering the right people still happens today, but authors are usually more subtle about it.
Sick in the Head: Conversations about Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is a writer, comedian, director, and producer known for his unique sense of humor. In the dedication of his book Sick in the Head: Conversations about Life and Comedy, he mentions his wife and daughters. Then, he gives a backhanded compliment to his parents, saying, “And for Mom and Dad. Your support—and the mental health issues you gave me—made all of this possible.”
Most people would see this as a joke, given Apatow’s comedic style. But since comedy often comes from emotional issues and family relationships, it might be partly true.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Mark Twain was known for his eccentricity and sense of humor, so it’s not surprising that he wrote a weird book dedication. He actually wrote many wacky dedications over the years.
However, Mark Twain may have outdone himself with his classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The dedication is more of a humorous note at the beginning of the book, which has become one of Twain’s most famous quotes:
“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.”
This statement is full of Twain’s unique wit, which has charmed readers for years.
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
Many unusual book dedications are either weird or grumpy. Terry Pratchett’s dedication for his novel Maskerade: A Novel of Discworld manages to be both.
He writes: “My thanks to the people who showed me that opera was stranger than I could imagine. I can best repay their kindness by not mentioning their names here.”
People usually either love opera or hate it. Judging by his sarcasm, Pratchett probably hates it. At least this dedication is related to the book, which is about a ghost who commits murders at an opera house.
Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille
In the dedication of his suspense thriller Wild Fire, Nelson DeMille made fun of authors who namedrop celebrities in their dedications.
DeMille starts by thanking “the Emperor of Japan and the Queen of England for promoting literacy” and mentions people who had complimented his work. One of them was Bruce Willis, who called him one day to say, “Hey, you’re a good writer.”
DeMille’s list even includes Paris Hilton because her family’s hotel chain sells his books. He finishes by thanking Albert II, King of the Belgians, who waved to him, “screwing up traffic for half an hour, thereby forcing me to kill time by thinking of a great plot to dethrone the King of the Belgians.”
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket, wrote darkly humorous dedications for the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events. Snicket writes to a woman named Beatrice, a lost love who broke off their engagement and married a man named Bertrand. The two died, leaving behind their children.
The original message appears in The Bad Beginning: Book The First. Snicket says: “To Beatrice—darling, dearest, dead.”
He continues this theme for all 13 books in the series. Some of the cleverest include: “When we were together I felt breathless. Now you are,” from The Vile Village: Book The Seventh and “My love flew like a butterfly, until death swooped down like a bat,” from The Miserable Mill: Book The Fourth.
Toward the end of the series, we find out that Beatrice died in a house fire. In The Penultimate Peril: Book The Twelfth, Snicket writes to her, “No one could extinguish my love, or your house.”
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Many authors mention how disappointed a friend or family member is that a book wasn’t dedicated to them. Neil Gaiman found a clever way to avoid this by writing a dedication for his novel Anansi Boys that could be for anyone and no one at the same time:
“Because we haven’t yet met/have only a glancing acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/haven’t seen each other in much too long/are in some way related/will never meet, but will, I trust, despite that, always think fondly of each other! This one’s for you. With you know what, and you probably know why.”
Whether readers like the humor or not, Gaiman seems to have included everyone. No one can complain about being left out!
These book dedications show that authors have a great sense of humor and creativity. They can make us laugh, think, and sometimes even be a little shocked. Next time you pick up a book, take a look at the dedication page—you never know what you might find!
What’s the weirdest or funniest book dedication you’ve ever read? Leave your comment below!
