娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)

ごらくしょうせつ
noun
entertainment novel; popular fiction
1. entertainment novel; popular fiction
Fiction written primarily for enjoyment and entertainment rather than literary or artistic purposes. Encompasses genres such as mystery, romance, adventure, and science fiction.
娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)を読(よ)むのが好(す)きだ。
I like reading popular fiction.
この作家(さっか)は純文学(じゅんぶんがく)より娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)で知(し)られている。
This author is better known for popular fiction than for literary novels.
娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)だからといって価値(かち)が低(ひく)いわけではない。
Just because something is popular fiction doesn't mean it has less value.

A compound of 娯楽(ごらく) (entertainment; amusement) and 小説(しょうせつ) (novel). In Japanese literary discourse, fiction is traditionally divided into 純文学(じゅんぶんがく) (literary fiction/serious literature) and 娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ) (entertainment fiction). This distinction parallels but is not identical to the Western literary/genre fiction divide.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)を書(か)く: to write popular fiction
  • 娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)作家(さっか): popular fiction writer
  • 娯楽(ごらく)小説(しょうせつ)と純文学(じゅんぶんがく): popular fiction and literary fiction

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 純文学(じゅんぶんがく): literary fiction; serious literature — the counterpart, emphasizing artistic merit
  • 大衆(たいしゅう)小説(しょうせつ): popular novel; mass-market fiction — nearly synonymous, emphasizes broad readership
  • ライトノベル: light novel — a specific modern genre targeted at young readers, with anime/manga-style illustration
general
Added 2026.4.29 22:37
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