The Lottery and Other Stories

By Shirley Jackson

The first short story collection by Shirley Jackson, featuring one of her most celebrated works.
 
The only collection of Jackson’s short fiction to be published in her lifetime, it contains 25 stories, of which "The Lottery" is the most famous. When it was published in The New Yorker, it elicited an unprecedented stream of interest, both positive and negative, from its readers. It is a haunting take of the darker side of small town America, and one of Jackson’s crowning achievements.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781551999531

Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) is a towering figure in twentieth-century gothic fiction. She is the author of many books and short stories, including The Haunting of Hill House, Hangsaman, Life Among the Savages, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and “The Lottery,” which is considered to be her masterpiece."

Reviews for The Lottery and Other Stories

[feleciak-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The LotterySubtle/Eerie mix4.5 starsPositioned in the center of town an annual (June 27th) lottery is held. Everyone has to attend. Each person takes a slip of paper from a black box. The person with a marked paper is the recipient of a rather unorthodox prize. The cheeriness and tone of the book doesn't prepare the reader for its epic ending.

[schmerguls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

5546. The Lottery and Other Stories, by Shirley Jackson (read 25 Mar 2018) When I read the biography of Shirley Jackson by Ruth Franklin I decided I should read The :Lottery again--I read it years ago--since it was such an important factor in the author's life. This book has 24 other short stories included so I read them all, even though I do not like to read lots of short stories in a book since one keeps starting over so many times in the course of reading the book. This book has The Lottery as the last story in the book. I found the stories of uneven merit. Probably the best ones I guess were "The Daemon Lover" , "Trial by Combat", and "Charles", but of course the most sensational story is "The Lottery". I had sort of thought it was laid colonial,like the witch trials, but the story talks of tractors and is laid in present time--which makes it highly unlikely,of course. The matter-of-factness of the town people is striking and chilling. It is less than 12 pages long and if you have not read it, you should as it is a good illustration of Shirley Jackson and her unusual mind and ability..

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a collection of short stories, all rather grim. The Daemon Lover is James Harris in the story of that name, but he reappears in most of the later stories as different people of the same name. While Jackson is sometimes thought of as a horror writer because of ‘The Lottery’ and the novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, these stories do not have any supernatural elements to them – ‘The Lottery’, while rather horrific, is about human weirdness. Some of them *do* venture into the odd, however. These stories are about the quiet nastiness that humans inflict on each other every day- racism, snobbery, classism, alienation, sexism (especially sexism) and everyday cruelty fill this book. The characters are the kind of people we meet every day; there are no heroes or outright villains- but even the stories where nothing is overtly happening are filled with tension. These stories were written in the 1940s, so it may be hard for readers to feel the stories are realistic depictions of everyday life. Thankfully, some of the assumptions made back then have fallen by the wayside, at least in most of the US. But despite the 40s settings, many of the stories remain pertinent. This is literary fiction, but literary fiction that may make the reader feel uncomfortable.

[lndlindsey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the main story. It still has the same impact for me that it had in high school. Human nature is frightening.

None of the rest of the stories grabbed my interest.

[mrgan-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well I feel like a complete ass for not reading beyond The Lottery until now.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a volume of Shirley Jackson Short stories, someone who defined American Gothic style of writing. Its not something I understood until reading this book, but now I get - its the uneasiness/wrongness of living a very normal life. Its the friction of being who you are vs conforming to society expectation, and its a difficult thing to define as a style.As for the stories, as in any short story collection, some will be better than others. The stand out story is, of course, "The Lottery", which is the last story in the collection. I read it in high school for class, but didn't get the emotional undertones, or the hypocritical, I'll go along with the system and until it focuses on me...Of course, there are other stories in the volume. I think my second favorite is the "Flower Garden", this is a story of a woman who married into a large family, pillars of the town. When she makes a friend with a widow who hired a black man to help in the garden, she finds herself getting ostracized by the town folk. So, she needs to decide - stay with society, or stay with her new friend....There are 26 stories in this volume, and all of them have a feeling of being off somehow.... Anyway, its a volume of stories I will be revisiting.

[madam_razz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It can be so hard, sometimes, to really give a proper review for an anthology, since there are so many different stories them to talk about. But, once again, Shirley Jackson doesn't disappoint. Every story here, including the very short ones, tend to all leave you thinking by the end, and I'm not a bit sorry that I spent a little over nine hours listening to them in all. Great stories and definitely worth a look for anyone who has liked other works by Shirley Jackson or just tends to like thought-provoking stories that don't always end happily.

[govmarley-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a collection of short stories that run the spectrum of emotions for me, but this review is about "The Lottery". I have read this 3 different times in my life, and knowing the ending doesn't make it any easier to read. This story is about tradition, and what can happen when people blindly follow what has been done in the past without stopping to question why we do the things we do. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I feel this story is an absolute "must read" for everyone. It will spark deep discussion, and it will change your perspective.

I need to go cry in a corner now and be depressed for the remainder of the day. Well played, Ms. Jackson, well played. This story left an imprint on my psyche and I will be thinking about it for days.

[raggedtig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read this book in high school as part of our required reading. Very eerie story. I don't know if I could live in a town where they held a "death lottery". It's been a long time since I read the book, but I still remember parts of it and it still creeps me out.

[omrythea_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Lottery is one of the most powerful short stories around. Read it and you will definitely have some thoughts about it. The story stays with you forever...

[bragan_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an odd little story collection. Most of the stories in it are, on the face of things, just tiny little captured pieces of ordinary life, usually featuring housewives in domestic settings. Often they start at seemingly random moments and end abruptly with nothing in particular having happened. But running through them all, often very, very subtly, is this vague feeling of quiet desperation, of people -- usually women -- hemmed in by fences of social conformity that they can never quite perceive, reaching vaguely for some sense of personal identity that doesn't quite exist. Taken individually, many of them might seem incomplete or pointless, but as a whole, I think the collection adds up to something more than the sum of its parts. I will admit that, towards the end, I began to feel it had all gone on a bit too long, and my interest began to flag... But then, after putting the book down for some sleep, I picked it up again and read "The Tooth," which I thought encapsulated a lot of the themes of this collection beautifully, followed soon after by the quietly chilling title story, which I think is made much more effective by the context of everything that comes before it, and I was impressed with what Jackson's doing here all over again.

[bluepigeon-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great collection of short stories of Shirley Jackson. I had never read The Lottery, and I can see why it was a big deal when it was first published. Though, today, reading The Lottery and some of the other strange stories in this collection, one would not be as shocked, After all, this is the post-Twilight-Zone, post-Hunger Games 21st century. In fact, right at the very beginning of the story, maybe even in the first paragraph, I knew exactly what was going to happen, just what this "lottery" would be about. Nevertheless, Jackson is a great story teller, and the anticipation she builds in this and many other stories is just perfect. Many of the stories are about new brides, new homes, city folk trying to fit among the "friendly" country folk in rural America, status-conscious Americans being neighborly to each other, and country folk visiting the big city.Thus, race, class, socio-economic standing are constantly in the forefront. And of course, tradition.

[scolgo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jackson's writing makes me queasy. In these stories, she repeatedly presents seemingly ordinary people in seemingly ordinary environments. She then introduces some otherness, some thing that is just not quite right. It might be a slight shift of perspective or a wave of dread that approaches inexorably, like a tsunamu might. As each story progresses, this feeling of tense wrongness builds until you feel like screaming. Or throwing up, maybe.For me, there were several standouts in this collection. The Daemon Lover, Trial by Combat, The Renegade, The Dummy, and Men With Their Big Shoes'. One other standout really reminded me of another classic short story; Pillar of Salt, brought to mind The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins. That same whiff of something being off. That same subtle shift from apparent normalcy to a squicky feeling of wrongness - and then that same scrabbling slide into full-blown lunacy. Chilling.This is a very good collection. I really want to read The Haunting of Hill House now - but I think I'll save it for next October.

[sean191 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, back on the side of not liking Shirley Jackson. Thankfully, the collection ends with The Lottery, so I had the opportunity to get reacquainted with that excellent short story. If I had never heard of The Lottery and managed to slog through the rest of the stories to get to it, it would have been worth it, but I wish I just skipped to it and enjoyed myself for the few minutes it takes to read it, cutting out all the other stories that weren't very good. If not for The Lottery, no one would have known "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" (another enjoyable, but maybe lesser work from Jackson). Without either of those stories, I can't imagine there being any interest in these shorts or some of her other work. Maybe the Haunting of Hill House is worthwhile...I'm not sure if I have the confidence to find out.

[susiesharp_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a series of short stories mostly dealing with the way we human beings treat each other sometimes in very despicable ways. A lot of these stories ended so abruptly that it is a bit jarring but each of these stories leaves you with something to think about.I didn't enjoy this as much as We Have Always Lived in the Castle but it still showed she is a good writer.I listened to this on audio narrated by, Carol Stewart I enjoyed her narration very much.

[plenilune · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I picked this up to see if "The Lottery" has held up since I read it in high school (and it has), this collection is far more than just its title story. Whether she's writing about social issues such as race ("After You, My Dear Alphonse", "Flower Garden") or class ("Men with Their Big Shoes"), Jackson is a master of the short story. She succinctly captures a child's point-of-view ("Afternoon in Linen", "The Witch") as well as that of an outsider in the city ("Pillar of Salt", "The Tooth"). While Jackson wields a skillful pen (see such finely crafted stories as "The Daemon Lover", "Like Mother Used to Make" and "The Villager") I feel that she's at her best on shorter stories, such as the affecting and sharp "Got A Letter from Jimmy", rather than longer ones.

[passion4reading_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first impression was that the individual stories are a bit hit and miss but the longer you think about them, the more you realise that Shirley Jackson manages to bring out the monster in the most ordinary people, so not a horror story in the usual sense. Even though I find some of the stories featured still a bit disappointing, some others linger on in the mind: "The Lottery", of course, but in my opinion also "Flower Garden" and "Of Course". Others deal with the seemingly pointless struggle of human lives and the amount of time wasted in the pursuit of a goal that will never be achieved: "The Daemon Lover", "Elizabeth" and "Seven Types of Ambiguity". A good read and one that will keep your thoughts occupied for some time.

[susanbevans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The title story is simply incredible! Haunting and powerful, this collection is truly unusual, but in a good way. Jackson deals with some pretty grave subjects in her stories, such as racism and social morality, with a refreshing and vivid poignancy that leaves the reader gasping fro breath. This collection is a "can't miss" literary opportunity.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I picked up this collection of short stories by Shirley Jackson solely to read "The Lottery" because someone had mentioned the premise behind "The Hunger Games" was similar. While I thoroughly enjoyed "The Hunger Games", I found the short story "The Lottery" to be just plain creepy, like an episode out of the Twilight Zone TV show. I'm glad I wasn't required to read this one in school!I also sampled a few more of the shorter, short stories in this collection. I laughed at "The Dummy" (I couldn't get the restaurant scene from "Hello Dolly" out of my mind when reading it). "The Intoxicated" hinted at something sinister happening to the world and I wanted to know more. "The Witch" was a bit disturbing. "Got a Letter from Jimmy" also left me wanting to know more back story (but I guess that might be the hallmark of good short story).

[danajean_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As many of you probably have, I read The Lottery while still in high school. I found it to be a chilling story then; and I found it to be as chilling today. The other short stories leading up to this were a genuinely nice surprise, as I wasn't familiar with any of Shirley Jackson's other short pieces. Little snippets of life, written with such plain language. I found them to be fascinating in their simplicity. The beginning writer could learn a great deal from Shirley Jackson.

[calmclam_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Picked this up after finishing We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but I didn't enjoy it as much. The stories are interesting and well-crafted, though not always satisfying, and the overall effect is rather depressing. Themes include: loneliness, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, mob rule, and general sadness.

[clfisha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shirley Jackson is a master at taking everyday life and twisting into ominous shapes, and whilst these very short tales are a mixed bag there are more than enough good ones to make this a must read. Morality and social life are viewed through odd perspectives. The loneliness and alienation we all feel at times is pinned and displayed in delicious biteszied vignettes and you ride happily along with polite society until you feel the creeping horror as things go awry, when it's rules create racism or death. You share the horror at the strangers that kids can become and then sit inside someone's else head with growing murderous rage at their husbands unthinking actions and what's more you can understand it. This empathy is what makes the horror all the more real.. I mean what if she is talking about our own lives?It is in an intense, wonderful read and though I didn't always like every story (and I missed the growing evocative atmosphere of her novels) I would highly recommend to anyone.

[laugal-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The ending was surprising! Great,quick read. This story makes you think!

[srboone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These stories fit nicely together. Effectiveness is inconsistent, but the overall feeling of dread is quite delicious.

[yona-414000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed at what literature has to offer. And I know I've only just scratched the surface. This is the second collection of short stories I've read and they each had a similar affect and gave me a similar impression. I sit there at the end of each story just stunned at the affect and wondering exactly why. It's a new experience to read stories where the story doesn't seem to be as important as something else that's not immediately identifiable - the impression. At the end of so many of them it feels like I'm experiencing a painting. Like what takes place in the story are the brush strokes. Each stroke by itself doesn't seem to have much meaning until you see the end result and sit there in awe and wondering how it happened. Some seem like an intense form of character exposition where you see into the character's soul and that insight is an end in and of itself - is the whole point of the work. I'm sure other short stories will take other forms but this particular form has been very interesting and enjoyable - and strange. I like it.

[rockhead515-580421 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm not a big fan of short stories, because they're generally too short, but came across 'The Lottery' when mentioned in 'Strangers At The Feast' by Jennifer Vanderbes.
Interesting within the context of SATF, but otherwise left far too many unanswered questions for me.
I found 'The Lottery' online and did not read any other stories in this edition.

[carlahaunted · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just as dizzingly breathtaking the second time 'round.

[sami7-951065 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A perfect collection of short stories. Among the collection my favourites are:
- After You, My Dear Alphonse (Social norms take time to change even for good people)
- Flower Garden (how racism creep in and take hold of people)
- Colloquy (short, sweet and I consider it lighthearted)

[charrlygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars!

It's no secret that I love Shirley Jackson. I have been known to engage reviewers about what I consider to be less than awesome ratings for The Haunting of Hill House and/or We Have Always Lived in the Castle. One of the things I'm always honest about is books, and despite the fact that this book was written by Shirley, I wasn't crazy about it.

I was aware going in that this was not a collection of horror tales, though certainly, some of them are horrific. Even so, I didn't find a point to a lot of these tales. I liken them to someone peeking into the window of a normal American family-it's mostly boring. One or two of them (The Tooth, for sure), were just plain weird.

However, a few of these tales have serious subjects without seeming to-a few of them are outright diatribes on racism-without stating the word and without personal commentary. The fact that some of these families were so racist and didn't even realize it was commentary enough. I also found that a few stories seemed to be about the place of women in society, which was quite different in the 40s as compared to now. Lastly, a few of these stories were horror, in my opinion, The Lottery the most well known and the most horrific.

There is a whole 'nother thing going on with James Harris, a character that is featured in some of these stories. There's some talk in blogging communities about who he is, exactly, and what his presence symbolized. I don't pretend to have a complete handle on the whole thing, but it deserves a mention.

Overall, this was a well written collection, (from Shirley Jackson we would expect no less), but I found it to be slightly confusing at times and overall, I was not completely satisfied with this collection.

[elizabeth_foster-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly grown.

A number of these short stories start off in this vein, painting an idyllic existence, before reality intrudes. Some highlight racism, others address self identity, or casual cruelty. The worst crime is left to last in the most famous story, The Lottery. If you've read the stories leading up to it, it is merely a continuation of the critique of a rigid, unthinking society. In the context of the time in which they were written these stories must have been akin to subversive acts. Many reveal unpalatable truths hidden under constricting social constructs – especially those in place for women. I remember reading how the author (trapped in an unhappy marriage) didn’t much enjoy writing such tales and wanted to work on happier ones. Sadly she died before she got the chance. Fearless and honest writing.