The Lottery

It was a short read, and I'm sure it was very important for its time. But now, it doesn't really strike me as much. Yes, tradition is not always something to be upheld - but now what can we do about it?

absolutely delicious. my girl shirley is EVIL!

Best enjoyed with periods between each story, to comprehend the quiet horror of each. Warning that this may hit you long after reading.

I bought this book because of The Lottery but I found my new favorite Shirley Jackson’s short story, the Flower Garden.

there's a reason why shirley jackson is shirley jackson

that was traumatizing

omg

WHAT DID I JUST READ?:/):$

Having read this for the first time at 40 the twist in the ending was spoilt for me. But even so the strength of the writing makes it a compelling read and themes of conformity and the dangers of tradition are very much relevant today. There's a good reason generations of school kids are forced to pour over the story.

The Lottery and Other Stories. Strange stories mostly focused on female protagonists, which get under your skin and provide food for thought. She captures how trapped and frustrated a lot of women are, and the cruelty, snobbery and outright racism that are barely concealed beneath a veneer of civility. However, it’s her horror stories that I enjoy the most, and the Lottery is the best in the collection - a creepy and unsettling slow burn.

"Be a good sport, Tessie."

Definitely did not expect that

A few great mini thrillers packed into one book. Like a fever dream nightmare

People can really be made to think the most cruelest and shittiest of shit is normal.

Well that was unexpected...

A few of the stories were absolutely riveting, and many of the others just left me feeling… not much.

Whoa.

WHAT DID I JUST READ?:/):$

short. dystopian. dreadful. thought provoking.

i underestimated you miss jackson! i love an off putting dystopia… and this was just that. and mad props for doing it in such a short story

Geniali. Tutte geniali. Mi sento più disturbata di prima.

Easily the most recognizable, widely read work of folk horror in literature, Jackson’s story (published in 1948) begins in the folksy tone of any other quick pastoral sketch, with a group of recognizable characters getting ready for their annual town ritual involving an old box, a three-legged stool, and a random drawing of slips of paper. But the beauty of the tale lies in what isn’t explained, and all the unanswered questions that are continually raised by the whole affair, soon revealed to be quite sordid indeed. The Lottery's display of violence and inhumanity shocks us because the prose is so outwardly pleasant. The characters seem innocent and to be upstanding citizens. What makes this so terrifying is that they give into an ancient ritual of sacrifice and murder due to mimetic desire. Shirley's story suggests that the desires of the collective whole (however irrational those desires may be) trump those of the individual. A terrifying exercise in group think and a classic example of a perfect short story.