Explicit and implicit narratator in Christian Kracht's novel Imperium

The purpose of studying a famous novel Imperium (2012) by the modern Swiss writer Christian Kracht from the point of view of the current science of narratology is to recreate the characteristics of a fictitious reader (nar-ratator) - the addressee of the fictitious narrator. Since the explicit image of the narratator created by the means of appeals is limited, the task is to reveal the image of the “ideal” (concipitated) reader, which is thought of as a certain spiritual reality. In order to achieve confidence in the reader, the narrator calls the main character “our young man”, “our friend”, “young madcap”, etc. This kind and ironic attitude to the main character brings him closer to the reader and triggers an adequate reaction. Often the narrator uses the personal pronoun “we”, thus joining the fictitious reader in order to accompany them through the pages of the novel. The narrator accepts the reader as one of “his own kind” and trusts them no less than he trusts the main character, which is evidenced by the direct appeals, such as “Notice!” or “You ask me...?”. The study of the implicit image of the reader in the form of orientations (linguistic, epistemological, educational and ethical ones) enables to suggest for the first time that the narrator has a high opinion of his recipient's competence and standards of thinking. It is proved that the implicit narratator appears in the narrator's representations for several reasons. First, the reader is seen as a sophisticated peruser of postmodern literature who is able to operate with such concepts as pastiche, analepsis or viewpoint. The narratator's reading ability and erudition can be compared to those of a philologist of Germanic languages. Second, the narrator is convinced of the broad cultural outlook of the reader, who can be interested in numerous references to the history of navigation, philosophy, literature, music and fine arts. Third, the narrator is convinced of the narratator's high moral qualities. In general, it can be stated that the main narrative feature of the novel is the fictitious narrator's search for trust and intellectual solidarity with the fictitious narratator, which eventually ensured the success of the novel with the readership.