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大衆小説 (たいしゅうしょうせつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
popular fiction ; mass-market novel ; pulp fiction
Refers to novels written for a broad, general audience, often with an emphasis on entertainment rather than literary artistry. Can carry a slightly dismissive tone similar to 'pulp' in English.
で
有ゆう
名めい
に
なっ
た
。
This author became famous through mass-market novels.
Kanji 衆 masses, great numbers, multitude 説 opinion, theory, explanation Similar words 純じゅん 文ぶん 学がく 純文学 refers to 'pure literature' with high artistic merit, while 大衆小説 is entertainment-oriented popular fiction.
ライトノベル ライトノベル (light novel) is a modern category aimed at young adults, often with anime-style illustrations, whereas 大衆小説 is a broader, older term for general popular fiction.
Etymology Compound of 大衆 (taishū, 'the masses, general public') and 小説 (shōsetsu, 'novel'). The term emerged in the early 20th century to distinguish entertainment-oriented fiction from pure literature.
