This book is a weird one and I'm not completely sure how to review it. I had read somewhere that Ben Lerner writes really good books whose descriptions make them sound like really terrible books. I'm not sure that that completely fits the description, but there were things I loved about this book and things I hated, and I'm not really sure who I could actually recommend it to. My initial distaste for it was that it seems to follow in the trend of the post-modern, self-indulgent, straight white male anxiety novel. I have talked a lot about how tired I am of this, but as neurotic as Ben is, and as trivial as a lot of his worries are, he's so damn articulate. The writing is beautiful. I think this novel (which is frequently referred to as the book written instead of the one the 'writer, Ben' is supposed to actually be writing) shines most when talking about art. My favorite parts were those where he was describing "The Clock," which I would LOVE to see, his moments at the Institute for Totaled Art, a visit to the Donald Judd sculptures at Marfa and any other encounter he has with art. He has this incredible ability to describe the pure awe one can feel when witnessing great art really resonated with me. That said, I think this book can lean toward the pretentious, though I enjoyed it in spite of it, or maybe even because of its self-consciousness. "10:04" falls into a genre that I have, coincidentally, been reading a lot of books in: pretentious white boy writers who think they know everything about the world and want everyone to be impressed with their thoughts and feelings. Now, let's be clear: I'm pretty much that person too, but my writing comes in short reviews and doesn't get critical acclaim! :) Is there an audience for this type of work? Clearly. You will see "10:04" on many Best of 2014 lists, which is why I read it. Am I it? Not really, but I respect the genre. When I read "To Rise Again At A Decent Hour" (Joshua Ferris), there were very good parts of the book ... and very long hipster-esque diatribes into religion and what the world means. I found the book OK, reviewed it here, and then it was nominated for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and I was yet again reminded my critic days are behind me. The same happened here. I started reading "10:04" and was immediately captivated. This is a dystopian disaster book (my genre!) but then, alas, that is not the case. Ok, it's a dude dealing with life and all the feels and parenting and living our your dreams book (sometimes my genre!) but then, alas, it is not entirely the case. It's a book where the author, a poet, makes sure to show that he not only can quote Whitman and describe art, but also write trick you into reading his own poems through a work of fiction! Yes ... yes it is that. Some of the other reviewers here say they couldn't get past 70 pages. There were times when I certainly lost interest, but I continued through it and am glad I did. Ferris is clearly an intelligent person and a good writer. My critiques involve his structure, but that's something about me, not him. I also have a very hard time watching Terrence Malick movies which are (supposedly) unparalleled in brilliance. Malick is not for me; these types of books are not for me. But I do respect them, just not as much as critics and hipsters do. It is, however, a plus that I read it entirely in 3 days. It clearly captivated me enough to do that. Now on to something easy like James Joyce (if only I were joking!)
What do You think about 22.04 (2014)?
Brilliant and funny novel, reminded me of a mix between Jonathan Franzen and David Sedaris.
—riezel
My imaginary book club is real. We're reading this. After, we should reread Specimen Days.
—immerwanderlust
