Disclaimer: There aren’t 26 hilarious book dedications here. Meaning, there are some amusing dedications after all the text I wrote here, so you’ll have to either read it or simply scroll down. But there aren’t really 26, so if this number is important to you for some reason, I apologize in advance. Now, after clearing that up, we can begin.

A few days ago, while I was browsing one of the seemingly viral content websites (one of the many sites that tend to copy each other’s content until no one knows the source of the story), I came across a promising headline: “10 Times Authors Took Their Book Dedications to the Next Level,” or some other BS title that promises more than it can deliver.

“Wow,” I thought to myself. What a great idea. Maybe I should collect some amusing book dedications and post them on the site because, after all, if there’s one thing these guys on viral content sites know, it’s how to cater to their audience. And one thing every website owner wants is to create content that their audience will enjoy (at least this website owner; I can’t vouch for others).

The idea began to take shape and pixels on a white screen, but then I realized that I hadn’t encountered too many dedications that left a big impression on me. I immediately went to grab a few books from my shelf and searched for their dedications. What I found can be summed up in one word: disappointment. Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” was simply dedicated to his literary agent and editor. J.K Rowling dedicated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone “for Jessica, who loves stories, for Anne, who loved them too, and for Di, who heard this one first.” A little more vested, but still, nothing you will remember in a few years. Even the great Douglas Adams contented himself with a laconic dedication to his wife, and that too on one of the rare occasions he bothered to dedicate one of his books. Fortunately, at the last moment, I remembered to check the first pages of Ephraim Kishon’s “My Family Right or Wrong,” where I found the magnificent dedication at the top of that page. But besides that, despite rummaging through my bookshelves, I couldn’t find any more surprises.

I already started thinking of giving up on this whole adventure when I remembered Jerome K. Jerome’s perfect dedication in “Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow,” a collection of humorous and brilliant essays published three years before “Three Men in a Boat.” This dedication exemplifies everything good about Jerome’s writing, showing how his humor remains relevant even today, more than a hundred years after he wrote it.

TO
THE VERY DEAR AND WELL-BELOVED
FRIEND OF MY PROSPEROUS AND EVIL DAYS–
TO THE FRIEND
WHO, THOUGH IN THE EARLY STAGES OF OUR ACQUAINTANCESHIP
DID OFTTIMES DISAGREE WITH ME, HAS SINCE
BECOME TO BE MY VERY WARMEST COMRADE–
TO THE FRIEND
WHO, HOWEVER OFTEN I MAY PUT HIM OUT, NEVER (NOW)
UPSETS ME IN REVENGE–
TO THE FRIEND
WHO, TREATED WITH MARKED COOLNESS BY ALL THE FEMALE
MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD, AND REGARDED WITH SUSPICION
BY MY VERY DOG, NEVERTHELESS SEEMS DAY BY
DAY TO BE MORE DRAWN BY ME, AND IN RETURN
TO MORE AND MORE IMPREGNATE ME WITH
THE ODOR OF HIS FRIENDSHIP–
TO THE FRIEND
WHO NEVER TELLS ME OF MY FAULTS, NEVER WANTS TO
BORROW MONEY, AND NEVER TALKS ABOUT HIMSELF–
TO THE COMPANION
OF MY IDLE HOURS, THE SOOTHER OF MY SORROWS,
THE CONFIDANT OF MY JOYS AND HOPES–
MY OLDEST AND STRONGEST
PIPE,
THIS LITTLE VOLUME
IS
GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED.

For those who made it this far, I promised you several viral and amusing dedications. So, yes, there aren’t 26 dedications here, but somewhat fewer. However, I’m sure you can find dozens of viral articles online that summarize more than 26 dedications like these. But since you’re already here, why not take a look?