10:04 Ben Lerner

10:04 is the second novel by the American writer Ben Lerner.[1]

The novel belongs to the genres of autofiction and metafiction. The first-person narrator is a 33-year-old writer who lives in New York City. A successful novelist, he has recently been diagnosed with a heart condition that could prove fatal.[2] The book deals with love, art, city life, illness, having children, and writing.

The critical reception of 10:04 has been largely positive.[3] In 2024, the New York Times Book Review ranked the book #62 on their list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far).[4]

The novel was shortlisted for the 2014 Folio Prize.[5]

1. ↑ Garner, Dwight (September 3, 2014). "With Storms Outside, Inner Conflicts Swirl". New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
2. ↑ World Archipelago. "10:04: A Novel". Macmillan. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
3. ↑ "WARM CORE: The Unusually Associative Cyclonic System of Ben Lerner's 10:04". December 18, 2014.
4. ↑ Staff, The New York Times Books (July 8, 2024). "The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
5. ↑ Tierra Innovation (February 9, 2015). "The 2015 Folio Prize Shortlist". theparisreview.org. Retrieved March 7, 2015.

• Review by Hari Kunzru in The New York Times
• Review by Catherine O'Flynn in The Guardian
• Review by Jonathan Gibbs in The Independent