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Read a great dedication?

pink shadow

pink shadow

New Member
I don't know if anyone else read the dedications in books, but I always do, and although they are usually either long list of editors names or short lists of the author's closest family, sometimes you come across a great one. So - what's your favourite dedication? Mine is:

"For everyone who has ever stood alone on a hill in a storm"
 
I often read them, as long as they're not as dry as a telephone directory. I have come across a few which were worth reading, but I don't know which books they were in now.
 
While not a dedication I found the introduction note in life of pi to be wonderful.
 
I have a few (the first two aren't dedications, but introductions that are worthy of a mention):

"When I go from hence, let this be my parting word, that what I have see is unsurpassable"
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?"
The Constant Gardener - John Le Carre

One I found amusing:

"Dedicated to the only three people alive who genuinely believe it rivals War and Peace:

my mother, Cheryl, the mom a million girls would die for

my father, Steve, who is handsome, witty, brilliant, and talented, and who insisted on writing his own dedication

my phenomenal sister, Dana, their favourite. (until I wrote a book)"
The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
 
One of my favorites is from The Sea And The Jungle by H.M. Tomlinson a travel book and it says "Dedicated To Those Who Did Not Go"
 
From P.G.Wodehouse:

To my daughter Leonora, without whose never-failing sympathy and encouragement this book would have been finished in half the time.
 
I don't bother much with the dedications. I do however, look forward to, and read, forwards. If it's from a person that is from another field or who is widely respected as an academic authority, then I really look forward to reading it.
 
Poppy1 said:
From P.G.Wodehouse:

To my daughter Leonora, without whose never-failing sympathy and encouragement this book would have been finished in half the time.
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What a lovely, lovely dedication. I want to write something half as witty to my own daughter when I (a) have a daughter and (b) write a book.

I'll try for (b), but (a) will depend on whether I will be so blessed.

ds
 
direstraits said:
What a lovely, lovely dedication. I want to write something half as witty to my own daughter when I (a) have a daughter and (b) write a book.

I'll try for (b), but (a) will depend on whether I will be so blessed.

ds
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May you be so blessed with (a) and you've definitely got a (b) there. :)
 
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 ar already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. you can then take it down from some upper shlef, 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

from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
 
This one's been mentioned before but is one of my favorites..

Steinbeck's East Of Eden

Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, "Why don't you make something for me?"
I asked you what you wanted, and you said, "A box."
"What for?"
"To put things in."
"What things?"
"Whatever you have," you said.
Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts- the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still, the box is not full.
John
 
Nemesis by VIncent Cobb

'To the children of the world and to all their carers who are responsible for their safety - may they always be vigilant'
 
pink shadow said:
I don't know if anyone else read the dedications in books, but I always do, and although they are usually either long list of editors names or short lists of the author's closest family...
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Yeah, I usually see those types of dedications in the books I read. And while that's fine and the traditional sort of thing to do, when I had the opportunity to get my first novel published last year, I opted to go more for humor. I wrote the following as my dedication:

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who made this book a reality. First, to the voices in my head for their comments and suggestions; to the wonderful folks at Behler Publications; to Garrett Lewis, who served as the guinea pig for my first draft; to my wife, who paid for the shock-therapy sessions that helped induce this story; to you, my readers. And, of course, to that one obsessive fan who will no doubt stalk me someday. You know who you are!"
 
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