1904 in literature
See also: 1903 in literature, other events of 1904, 1905 in literature, list of years in literature.
Events
- January - Mark Twain begins dictating his autobiography
- September - Mark Twain purchases a home at 21 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.
- The Cherry Orchard, a drama by Anton Chekov
- The first volume of Jean-Christophe is published. The ten-volume history of the development of a musician of genius, written by Romain Rolland, will be completed in 1912 and earn its author the Nobel Prize.
- Nostromo by Joseph Conrad is published. In 2001, the book would be one of four books by Conrad to be on the list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century as selected by the editorial board of the American Modern Library.
- The Golden Bowl by Henry James is published. In 2001, the book would be one of three books by James to be on the list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century as selected by the editorial board of the American Modern Library.
New Books
- The Cherry Orchard - Anton Chekhov
- The Golden Bowl - Henry James
- The Sea-Wolf - Jack London
- The Tale of Benjamin Bunny - Beatrix Potter
- Philosophy 4 - Owen Wister
- A Journey In Search of Christmas - Owen Wister
- The Island Pharisees - John Galsworthy
- Green Mansions - W.H. Hudson
- Ashes - Stefan Zeromski
- The Napoleon of Notting Hill - G. K. Chesterton
- The Late Mattia Pascal - Luigi Pirandello
- The Divine Fire - May Sinclair
- Nostromo - Joseph Conrad
- Marcus and Faustina - John R. Carling
- A Dog's Tale - Mark Twain
- A Drama in Livonia - Jules Verne
- Master of the World - Jules Verne
- The Green Eye of Goona - Arthur Morrison
- The Prodigal Son - Hall Caine
- Theophano, The Crusade of the Tenth Century - Frederic Harrison
- Ghost Stories of an Antiquary - M.R. James
- The Common Lot - Robert Herrick
- Peter Camenzind - Hermann Hesse
- Hadrian the Seventh - Frederick Rolfe
- Ghost Stories - James Montague
Births
- January 31 - John O'Hara, novelist (+ 1970)
- February 1 - S. J. Perelman, humorist, author
- February 4 - MacKinlay Kantor, historian (+ 1977)
- March 26 - Joseph Campbell, author and expert on mythology
- July 13 - Pablo Neruda, poet
- November 28 - Nancy Mitford, English novelist and biographer (+ 1973)
Deaths
- May 5 - Mór Jókai, Hungarian writer
- June 5 - Olivia Langdon Clemens, wife of Mark Twain
- July 14 - Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer
- August 22 - Kate Chopin, author