The Lottery and Other Stories
When Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" appeared in The New Yorker, twenty-five states, two territories, and six foreign countries sent in the largest mail ever received by that magazine on a piece of fiction. "A little masterpiece," "horrible," "powerful and haunting," "driving me crazy," "superbly contrived," "cancel my subscription," "beautifully written," "nights of unrest" were a few of the comments on one of the most unusual stories of our time.
The twenty-five stories in this volume represent a selection of Shirley Jackson's work. Through the book wanders James Harris, the daemon lover, in many guises, his veneer of the ordinary covering his elusive satanic nature, one of the more intriguing of the author's urbanely evil characters.
"Shirley Jackson has always been an original. As a storyteller she is expert, deft in suggesting emotional atmosphere and adroit in conveying nuances of feeling. Her characters may be bizarre and involved in terrifying circumstances, but they are convincing." - The New York Times
"I have tried hard to put Shirley Jackson's grim fairy tale out of my mind. I wouldn't read it again for anything. It is the rare and embarrassing masterpiece that keeps itself to itself. When its full cruelty and horror break upon you, you will want to buy a crate of clove-gillyflower and Old Spice from the American Institute of Arts and Letters and retire early." - Christopher Morley