This is the 2792nd most frequent Spanish word.
novela
A "novela" in Spanish is a "novel," which is a long, fictional prose narrative.
In this case, 'novela' is used metaphorically to describe something elaborate or dramatic, akin to the story of a novel.
La historia de su vida parece una novela.
His life story seems like a novel.
Here, 'novela' refers to a literary genre; specifically, a long narrative work, often fictional.
Estoy leyendo una novela de misterio muy interesante.
I'm reading a very interesting mystery novel.
'Novela' in this sentence signifies a serialized television drama or soap opera in the Spanish-speaking world.