I am a Connoisseur of Dedications

Usually, reading the dedication in a book is like scrubbing a harshly gunk-encrusted pan- time-consuming and, really, not rewarding at all.  It must be nice, you think, to have a book dedicated to you.  I think, it would be nice to dedicate a book to someone I love.  But, alas, or, really the opposite of alas, there are too many loves of my life to dedicate any book I might be lucky enough to have published to.  It would end up one of those multi-page dedications or post-story auxiliary dedications, both of which are just garish.  Honestly.  It makes the author seem so hopelessly pessimistic that they'll never be published again.  

This sort of thing is what makes a good dedication all the more beguiling.  In some cases, it can set the entire, lovely tone for what will, of necessity, be an entirely lovely book!

And so, my lovelies, here follows some of the best dedications I've seen.  I hope you enjoy them.

From The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint Exupery):

To Leon Werth

I ask the indulgence of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up.  I have a serious reason: he is the best friend I have in the world.  I have another reason: this grown-up lives in France where he is hungry and cold.  He needs cheering up.  If all these reasons are not enough I will dedicate the book to the child from whom this grown-up grew.  All grown-ups were once children- although few of them remember it.  And so I correct my dedication:

To Leon Werth

When he was a little boy

From Anansi Boys (Neil Gaiman):

You know how it is.  You pick up a book, flip to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author has dedicated a book to someone else and not to you.

Not this 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.

From Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones):

This one is for Stephen

The idea for this book was suggested by a boy in a school I was visiting, who asked me to write a book called The Moving Castle.

I wrote down his name, and put it in such a safe place, that I have been unable to find it ever since.

I would like to thank him very much.

From The Color Purple (Alice Walker):

To the Spirit:

Without whose assistance

Neither this book

Nor I

Would have been

Written.

Edit: Add

TO MY WIFE AND MY COUSIN: Because there I was with an empty gun and you, Roy, supplied the ammunition and you, Anne, directed my aim.
-Thieves Like Us. By Edward Anderson

To Francesca, may we always flee lions together.
-Empire of Ivory, Naomi Novik

TO LUCY BARFIELD

My dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,

C. S. LEWIS
-The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe


"For Colin Firth--You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends."

~Shannon Hale's Austenland

To all those who lead monotonous lives.
-Agatha Christie, The Secret Adversary