Autonarration, 'I', and odd address in Ben Lerner's autofictional novel 10.04

Focusing on Ben Lerner’s 10:04, this chapter investigates the stylistic composition of autofiction, with particular emphasis on pronoun usage. The novel is contextualised in relation to Genette’s judgement of autofiction and Lejeune’s tabular mapping of fiction and autobiography, leading to the development of a cognitive-stylistic model of autofiction. Following this, the analysis of 10:04 considers, in turn, first-person and third-person (auto-)narration, second-person address, and the impact of intertextuality on the referential value of pronouns. Ultimately, this chapter breaks new ground for the study of autofiction in English by providing a replicable, text-driven account of the linguistic style and narrative voice of autofiction. My account is grounded in cognitive stylistics and consequently, the chapter also advances knowledge about readerly interpretation of autofiction and autonarrational devices.