Evolution of the image of a reader in Russian romantic prose of the first half of the 19th century

The article reviews the evolution of “the image of a reader” in romantic prose, analyzes the "image of a reader" category, marks the main characteristics and examples. Reader and author interaction is described on linguistic and aesthetic levels. The author determines the characteristics and the type of communication between the author-creator and the reader in Russian romantic prose of the 19th century, as well as the specifics of personification of the image of author and reader in an artistic work. The article is based on the material of romantic novels of the 19th century. The romantic novels texts contain direct and hidden author appeals to his readers. Author presence can be found both in artistic descriptions and in the dialogues between characters.