The word page-turner describes a book that is so exciting or gripping that the reader feels compelled to keep reading. It seems that the connotation is more-or-less positive.
Is there a negative equivalent of this word? Doesn't have to be specific to books. I'm looking for a word that describes a piece of media that, although is compelling enough to keep its audience going, is otherwise of poor quality, or it uses questionable methods to achieve this compulsion, hurting its quality in the process. Some examples of said methods might be:
- Stretching out a romance
- Delaying the main plot by adding low-quality filler such as sub-plots
- Contriving plot twists or crises for beloved characters
- Using cheap tactics like cliffhangers, or
Best Answer
I think what you are looking for is a potboiler.
Also there is a term specifically used for written work: dime novel.