dime novel
Definition
Noun: A cheaply produced, sensational, and melodramatic paperback novel, originally sold for ten cents (a dime) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These stories were known for their fast-paced, often formulaic plots involving adventure, romance, or crime.
Usage
The term "dime novel" is used to refer to a specific historical type of popular literature. It often carries a connotation of being lowbrow, mass-produced, and designed purely for entertainment rather than literary merit.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- As a cultural reference: The term is often used metaphorically to describe any modern story, situation, or news report that is seen as overly sensational, simplistic, or melodramatic.
- The politician's scandal was straight out of a dime novel, complete with secret meetings and coded messages.
Variants and Related Words
- Penny dreadful (noun): A British term for a similar type of cheap, sensational fiction popular in the 19th century.
- Pulp magazine / pulp fiction (noun): A 20th-century successor to the dime novel, referring to inexpensive magazines and books printed on rough "pulp" paper, featuring similar sensational genres.
Synonyms
- Potboiler: A creative work produced quickly to make money.
- Shocker: A sensational story intended to shock or excite.
- Melodrama: A dramatic work characterized by exaggerated emotions and stereotypical characters.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Straight out of a dime novel: Used to describe an event or story that seems unrealistically dramatic, clichéd, or sensational.
- His account of the adventure was so full of clichés it sounded straight out of a dime novel.
Noun
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a melodramatic paperback novel
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