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The Lottery and Seven Other Short Stories
Who can forget the first time they heard the story? Considered one of the masterpieces of American literature, "The Lottery" created a sensation when it was first published in The New Yorker . Since then it has become one of the most anthologized stories in American literature. Powerful and haunting, subtle and horrifying, the tale demonstrates Shirley Jackson's mastery of storytelling. This one-of-a-kind audio collection, from the only anthology published during the author's lifetime, unites "The Lottery" with seven other equally unique stories. Jackson reveals the hidden evils of the human mind and society in these compelling stories. Carol Stewart, an award-winning reader, combines her extensive background as a voice talent for audiobooks with her deft sense of delivery, tone, and pacing to illuminate Jackson's uncommon characters and storytelling artistry.
Audible Audio
Published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Shirley Jackson
341 books11.5k followersShirley Jackson was an influential American author. A popular writer in her time, her work has received increasing attention from literary critics in recent years. She has influenced such writers as Stephen King, Nigel Kneale, and Richard Matheson.
She is best known for her dystopian short story, "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests there is a deeply unsettling underside to bucolic, smalltown America. In her critical biography of Shirley Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" was published in the June 28, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received." Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse."
Jackson's husband, the literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, wrote in his preface to a posthumous anthology of her work that "she consistently refused to be interviewed, to explain or promote her work in any fashion, or to take public stands and be the pundit of the Sunday supplements. She believed that her books would speak for her clearly enough over the years." Hyman insisted the darker aspects of Jackson's works were not, as some critics claimed, the product of "personal, even neurotic, fantasies", but that Jackson intended, as "a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the Bomb", to mirror humanity's Cold War-era fears. Jackson may even have taken pleasure in the subversive impact of her work, as revealed by Hyman's statement that she "was always proud that the Union of South Africa banned The Lottery', and she felt that they at least understood the story".
In 1965, Jackson died of heart failure in her sleep, at her home in North Bennington Vermont, at the age of 48.
She is best known for her dystopian short story, "The Lottery" (1948), which suggests there is a deeply unsettling underside to bucolic, smalltown America. In her critical biography of Shirley Jackson, Lenemaja Friedman notes that when Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery" was published in the June 28, 1948, issue of The New Yorker, it received a response that "no New Yorker story had ever received." Hundreds of letters poured in that were characterized by, as Jackson put it, "bewilderment, speculation and old-fashioned abuse."
Jackson's husband, the literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, wrote in his preface to a posthumous anthology of her work that "she consistently refused to be interviewed, to explain or promote her work in any fashion, or to take public stands and be the pundit of the Sunday supplements. She believed that her books would speak for her clearly enough over the years." Hyman insisted the darker aspects of Jackson's works were not, as some critics claimed, the product of "personal, even neurotic, fantasies", but that Jackson intended, as "a sensitive and faithful anatomy of our times, fitting symbols for our distressing world of the concentration camp and the Bomb", to mirror humanity's Cold War-era fears. Jackson may even have taken pleasure in the subversive impact of her work, as revealed by Hyman's statement that she "was always proud that the Union of South Africa banned The Lottery', and she felt that they at least understood the story".
In 1965, Jackson died of heart failure in her sleep, at her home in North Bennington Vermont, at the age of 48.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
October 10, 2018
The only really good story in here is The Lottery.
March 14, 2021
Of the eight stories included in this audiobook, only "The Lottery" would really be considered in the "horror" genre, and so this collection felt a little disappointing to me at first. There is a theme throughout the stories in the collection though, and that is a person's inability to act and to self advocate, brings about the troubles in these people's lives. This collection includes the following:
The Lottery
Flower Garden
Come Dance With me in Ireland
Men With Their Big Shoes
Trial by Combat
Pillar of Salt
Like mother Used to Make
Colloquy
The Lottery
Flower Garden
Come Dance With me in Ireland
Men With Their Big Shoes
Trial by Combat
Pillar of Salt
Like mother Used to Make
Colloquy
Read
January 22, 2022i enjoyed some of the stories👍 it’s a shame that the library only has an audiobook for this and not her short story collection that features 25 stories as opposed to the 8 I read ://
something that i find in short stories as both a deficit and an asset is their lack of finality and clarification. it’s almost always up to the reader’s interpretation :)
ranking of all eight stories (best to worst):
1. the lottery (ofc <3)
2. pillar of salt (this one scared me for no reason)
3. like mother used to make (mc was too relatable)
4. flower garden
5. men with their big shoes
6. trial by combat
7. come dance with me in ireland
8. colloquy
love how i’ve been reading short books to stall reading the 400+(pages) books on my tbr :[
something that i find in short stories as both a deficit and an asset is their lack of finality and clarification. it’s almost always up to the reader’s interpretation :)
ranking of all eight stories (best to worst):
1. the lottery (ofc <3)
2. pillar of salt (this one scared me for no reason)
3. like mother used to make (mc was too relatable)
4. flower garden
5. men with their big shoes
6. trial by combat
7. come dance with me in ireland
8. colloquy
love how i’ve been reading short books to stall reading the 400+(pages) books on my tbr :[
June 12, 2020
Audio. If these short stories don’t make you cringe - well we definitely have very different viewpoints on the world. The similarities between some of the events and choices in these tales and the trials people still face today are cringe worthy. The warnings they provide about society and individuals definitely intrigue me. Ultimately, a solid short story collection.
October 22, 2019
THE LOTTERY is a classic of creepiness and the frightening consequences of adherence to tradition and conformity at all costs, but the other stories I wasn't as certain about. The writing is definitely stellar, but they are odd little slices-of-life that seem to just drop off.
October 10, 2018
I’m not a huge Shirley Jackson fan and I’m usually disappointed with short stories, but I sort of liked this collection, which contains 8 stories ranging in length from 5 minutes to 1 hour (I listened, of course, to the audiobook). The Lottery is the key story and is, by far, the best of the lot. The relatively tame other stories are quiet, but creepy, which is Ms. Jackson’s style.
Summary: I wasn’t disappointed
Summary: I wasn’t disappointed
October 31, 2019
The Lottery: (5/5) Obviously this is amazing. She gives you just enough to disturb the hell out of you and then leaves you on the curb.
Flower Garden: (5/5) Stunning in how it portrays casual racism.
Come Dance With Me in Ireland: (2/5) I don't love this one. While I get the point Jackson is making, it just doesn't resonate with me.
Men With Their Big Shoes: (4/5) I love this. Politeness is only a virtue until it's a trap.
Trial by Combat: (3/5) This is a good one, but I think several of these other stories wear it better.
Pillar of Salt: (4/5) That last moment spoke to me in a way I wish it didn't.
Like Mother Used to Make: (4/5) Another spin on Jackson's favorite theme, and the midwesterner in me died a thousand deaths.
Colloquy: (2/5) This one lays it on a little thick for my tastes.
Flower Garden: (5/5) Stunning in how it portrays casual racism.
Come Dance With Me in Ireland: (2/5) I don't love this one. While I get the point Jackson is making, it just doesn't resonate with me.
Men With Their Big Shoes: (4/5) I love this. Politeness is only a virtue until it's a trap.
Trial by Combat: (3/5) This is a good one, but I think several of these other stories wear it better.
Pillar of Salt: (4/5) That last moment spoke to me in a way I wish it didn't.
Like Mother Used to Make: (4/5) Another spin on Jackson's favorite theme, and the midwesterner in me died a thousand deaths.
Colloquy: (2/5) This one lays it on a little thick for my tastes.
September 13, 2020
This is an anthology of the authors' work, the best-known being The Lottery which has been read by everyone at one time or another. The seven stories also included are of varying lengths with some being good and some being just alright. There is no significant character development in any of the stories, just a cursory glimpse of who they might be if given a chance. The stories are a part of the time they were written in as well as being a piece of the author and how she perceived the world around her.
I found that three of the stories are very good while the rest are pretty standard. The Lottery has always been one of my favorite stories even though it is very short, there is something about the tension and normality that is given off about what they plan for the winner (hard to call them that) of the lottery in the end.
The second story, Flower Garden, was also really good and held my attention. It is the story of a small town that while it may be welcoming when you do what they expect, can become a very cold and nasty place when you do not conform. In this case, its racism, though a more gentile and underhanded form but no less hateful.
The last story that worked for me was Like Mother Used to Make, a story about being too nice and not able to stand up for yourself even in your home.
The other stories are alright but not all that interesting to me. Sone or two were not even long enough to get a chance to like or dislike. I like her writing for the most part but think her work is a bit hit and miss like any writer. I do need to add that some of it may have been down to the narrator who did not elicit a lot of emotion.
I found that three of the stories are very good while the rest are pretty standard. The Lottery has always been one of my favorite stories even though it is very short, there is something about the tension and normality that is given off about what they plan for the winner (hard to call them that) of the lottery in the end.
The second story, Flower Garden, was also really good and held my attention. It is the story of a small town that while it may be welcoming when you do what they expect, can become a very cold and nasty place when you do not conform. In this case, its racism, though a more gentile and underhanded form but no less hateful.
The last story that worked for me was Like Mother Used to Make, a story about being too nice and not able to stand up for yourself even in your home.
The other stories are alright but not all that interesting to me. Sone or two were not even long enough to get a chance to like or dislike. I like her writing for the most part but think her work is a bit hit and miss like any writer. I do need to add that some of it may have been down to the narrator who did not elicit a lot of emotion.
March 25, 2022
I'm a long time fan of Shirley Jackson 's horror work like We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House , but like many American readers of my generation, I first encountered her work in short form, with "The Lottery" read in an English class when I was in middle school.
This collection includes "The Lottery," which was just as good, maybe even better than I had remembered and six other stories that I had not read before: "Flower Garden", "Come Dance with Me in Ireland", "Men with Their Big Shoes", "Trial by Combat", "Pillar of Salt", "Like Mother Used to Make", and "Colloquy". They ranged in tone from wry to disturbing and all took place in domestic settings. Most can't really be described as horror, but they do play in the same emotions in many cases.
My favorite of the stories that were new to me was "Flower Garden" which had a lot to say about racism without seeming like that was what it was talking about.
It's a short listen (just over 3 hours), well-performed, and well worth your time.
This collection includes "The Lottery," which was just as good, maybe even better than I had remembered and six other stories that I had not read before: "Flower Garden", "Come Dance with Me in Ireland", "Men with Their Big Shoes", "Trial by Combat", "Pillar of Salt", "Like Mother Used to Make", and "Colloquy". They ranged in tone from wry to disturbing and all took place in domestic settings. Most can't really be described as horror, but they do play in the same emotions in many cases.
My favorite of the stories that were new to me was "Flower Garden" which had a lot to say about racism without seeming like that was what it was talking about.
It's a short listen (just over 3 hours), well-performed, and well worth your time.
October 12, 2020
This is going to require me to listen to again at some point. It is obvious that it's a very old narration. It was ripped from a book on tape because at times a man will interject and say to turn the tape over. Also, there is no obvious break between stories. Otherwise, Carol Jordan Stewart's performance was good.
I can see how "The Lottery" influenced The Hunger Games. That town had some archaic ideas.
The other two most memorable short stories were "Flower Garden" and "Pillar of Salt" because they were the most developed. "Flower Garden" was about racism. "Pillar of Salt" was about anxiety and what stood out for me was that it takes place in NYC.
I would have to listen again and really pay attention the second time to have more to say about the other stories, because they didn't leave the same impression the three stories mentioned above did.
4 out of 5 Stones.
I can see how "The Lottery" influenced The Hunger Games. That town had some archaic ideas.
The other two most memorable short stories were "Flower Garden" and "Pillar of Salt" because they were the most developed. "Flower Garden" was about racism. "Pillar of Salt" was about anxiety and what stood out for me was that it takes place in NYC.
I would have to listen again and really pay attention the second time to have more to say about the other stories, because they didn't leave the same impression the three stories mentioned above did.
4 out of 5 Stones.
December 29, 2017
Timidity pervades these eight stories. I first read The Lottery some 50+ years ago and have fond memories of directing the one-act play version in college. But I had not read the other short stories and found them to be equally enticing and thought-provoking. Characters take the easy path, succumbing to bullies, ignoring their better instincts, and proceeding to do whatever is expected of them regardless of whether facing casual thoughtlessness, age-old superstition, or racism.
May 18, 2020
Concentrated only on The Lottery for my 2020 Short Story Challenge but listened to all other Short Stories within.
The Lottery: I always get a little nervous when I find my maiden name as a character in any book. This reminds me somewhat of the Hunger Games but in the local village of only 300 people where all ages are subjected to the lottery and participate on the chosen one. Perhaps if the chosen wasn't late to the lottery the story would have been much different.
Other stories included: Flower Garden; Come Dance With Me in Ireland; Men with Their Big Shoes; Trial by Combat; Pillar of Salt; Like Mother Used to Make; and Colloquy
The Lottery: I always get a little nervous when I find my maiden name as a character in any book. This reminds me somewhat of the Hunger Games but in the local village of only 300 people where all ages are subjected to the lottery and participate on the chosen one. Perhaps if the chosen wasn't late to the lottery the story would have been much different.
Other stories included: Flower Garden; Come Dance With Me in Ireland; Men with Their Big Shoes; Trial by Combat; Pillar of Salt; Like Mother Used to Make; and Colloquy
November 3, 2019
3.5 stars
These stories by Jackson are a great way to get introduced to her work. They’re short, well written, and leave you vaguely uncomfortable. The Lottery is one of her most famous works. I had to listen to it twice before I understood it. I never said I was smart.
I think I really live this quirky, droll, under-appreciated writer. I wouldn’t like a steady diet of her work, but Halloween week is the perfect time to read them.
These stories by Jackson are a great way to get introduced to her work. They’re short, well written, and leave you vaguely uncomfortable. The Lottery is one of her most famous works. I had to listen to it twice before I understood it. I never said I was smart.
I think I really live this quirky, droll, under-appreciated writer. I wouldn’t like a steady diet of her work, but Halloween week is the perfect time to read them.
July 11, 2020
Homespun horror. Nasty neighbors. Doubtful denizens.
3.5
3.5
October 5, 2023
The Lottery was GREAT! But the other stories fell a bit flat for me. Very competent writing, obviously. The stories themselves were just a little boring.
January 13, 2026
The cover of this book is seriously misleading. The Lottery 3 stars though
December 24, 2025
3/5
The female protagonists aren't very relatable and, while I enjoy disliking characters in the books I read, I felt fairly indifferent about most of the main characters.
The female protagonists aren't very relatable and, while I enjoy disliking characters in the books I read, I felt fairly indifferent about most of the main characters.
February 28, 2025
Wonderful horror that leaves you with such a sense of unease
August 20, 2018
SPOILER ALERT*** Just finished reading the audible version short story “THE LOTTERY AND SEVEN OTHER SHORT STORIES” by SHIRLEY JACKSON and narrated by CAROL JORDAN STEWART. Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' is a classic American short story known for its shocking twist ending and its insightful commentary on cultural traditions. It was originally printed in The New Yorker magazine in 1948.
The tale begins with all the villagers gathering in the town square for the annual lottery (that's not the twist), as if it were just another day. Children are playing with stones while the adults swap stories of farming and gossip. It's not until the lottery begins, over halfway through the story, that we start to suspect that all is not as it seems.
The real key is when the 'winner,' Tessie, declares that it isn't fair that she won. Spoiler alert: It turns out that the stones the children were playing with at the start of the story will be used for a ritual stoning, and the winner will be killed by the town (that's the twist).
Also included on this Audiobook:
The Lottery
The Flower Garden
Come Dance With Me in Ireland
Men With Their Big Shoes
Trial By Combat
Pillar of Salt
Like Mother Used To Make
Colloquy
The tale begins with all the villagers gathering in the town square for the annual lottery (that's not the twist), as if it were just another day. Children are playing with stones while the adults swap stories of farming and gossip. It's not until the lottery begins, over halfway through the story, that we start to suspect that all is not as it seems.
The real key is when the 'winner,' Tessie, declares that it isn't fair that she won. Spoiler alert: It turns out that the stones the children were playing with at the start of the story will be used for a ritual stoning, and the winner will be killed by the town (that's the twist).
Also included on this Audiobook:
The Lottery
The Flower Garden
Come Dance With Me in Ireland
Men With Their Big Shoes
Trial By Combat
Pillar of Salt
Like Mother Used To Make
Colloquy
May 25, 2023
The Lottery and Pillar of Salt were the more interesting stories. I would recommend reading if just to think about what we do to others that might seem kindness, but actually humans are always finding ways to take advantage of others without a doubt.
January 7, 2023
Odd, just odd. I didn't think I'd read the Lottery in school, but it was familiar so must have. Not sure I'm a fan of short stories - or maybe just not a fan of this author? Looking forward to our bookclub discussion of this one!
Read
January 12, 2021?? Maybe I just don't get Shirley Jackson.
August 1, 2021
A subtle exploration into the internal human emotional conflict
October 24, 2023
This was kinda an odd bundle of stories. I definitely want to read more of Jackson's short stories, but because this was packaged as 8 short stories with the cover what it is, I assumed they'd be spookier. And while they are unsettling, it's more unsettling in the casual injustices of the world, and in being trapped by politeness, rather than her more horror lit.
The Lottery - 4 stars
I've always remembered this as one of the first stories I've read for school that I actually really, really liked. It reminded me of Hunger Games, and I loved the theme of society doing things without realizing why they did it, and the general distaste at change.
Flower Garden - 3 stars
Racism, the story. Also, some mother-in-law dynamics that are interesting. I like when the neighbor said, "Leave it for the next people to take care of." She was talking about a branch, but clearly it's a metaphor.
Come Dance with me in Ireland - 2 stars
I didn't really understand this one, although I definitely got the vibes of how even the nice ladies were treating the beggar as a lost dog or something - very condescending. I admired his pride, despite his rudeness.
Men with Their Big Shoes - 3.5 stars
Between this and Flower Garden, I definitely see the theme of manipulative older women pushing around newly wed wives.
Trial by Combat - 3 stars
Hahaha how odd. I enjoyed how this contrasted with the female relationships in the previous story and in Flower Garden - it's an odd, forced intimacy.
Pillar of Salt - 2.5 stars
I also didn't really understand this one, although it definitely showed the invisibility of the city, and the frazzledness of that life to someone unaccustomed to it. I've had friends who used to get that anxious about crossing a street. Maybe it has to do with romantacising the country, "looking back," so to speak, can paralize you ("pillar of salt"), in the present, but i kinda feel like I'm reaching with that one.
Like Mother Used to Make - 3.5 stars
Help this is so funny my dude got kicked out of his own apartment because he was too polite to tell an unwanted guest to leave.
Colloquay - 2 stars
I don’t understand this, despite listening to it twice (it is only 5 minutes long after all). I think it has the same themes as Pillar of Salt, but I dont understand either story enough to say so definitively.
The Lottery - 4 stars
I've always remembered this as one of the first stories I've read for school that I actually really, really liked. It reminded me of Hunger Games, and I loved the theme of society doing things without realizing why they did it, and the general distaste at change.
Flower Garden - 3 stars
Racism, the story. Also, some mother-in-law dynamics that are interesting. I like when the neighbor said, "Leave it for the next people to take care of." She was talking about a branch, but clearly it's a metaphor.
Come Dance with me in Ireland - 2 stars
I didn't really understand this one, although I definitely got the vibes of how even the nice ladies were treating the beggar as a lost dog or something - very condescending. I admired his pride, despite his rudeness.
Men with Their Big Shoes - 3.5 stars
Between this and Flower Garden, I definitely see the theme of manipulative older women pushing around newly wed wives.
Trial by Combat - 3 stars
Hahaha how odd. I enjoyed how this contrasted with the female relationships in the previous story and in Flower Garden - it's an odd, forced intimacy.
Pillar of Salt - 2.5 stars
I also didn't really understand this one, although it definitely showed the invisibility of the city, and the frazzledness of that life to someone unaccustomed to it. I've had friends who used to get that anxious about crossing a street. Maybe it has to do with romantacising the country, "looking back," so to speak, can paralize you ("pillar of salt"), in the present, but i kinda feel like I'm reaching with that one.
Like Mother Used to Make - 3.5 stars
Help this is so funny my dude got kicked out of his own apartment because he was too polite to tell an unwanted guest to leave.
Colloquay - 2 stars
I don’t understand this, despite listening to it twice (it is only 5 minutes long after all). I think it has the same themes as Pillar of Salt, but I dont understand either story enough to say so definitively.
October 8, 2025
Half of these stories felt like a whole lot of nothing, or were mildly interesting at best, but maybe I'm just not deep enough to understand them. I was also expecting spookier stories, instead, this collection terrified its readers with the scariest thing of all: the metal cage that was domestic life in the 1950s.
"Flower Garden" made me feel uneasy. I can't tell if Jackson slipped her own racist ideologies into that story, or if she just used a racist white main character to criticize said character's hypocrisy, superficiality, and cowardly conformation to a small town's judgments. I'm choosing to believe the latter.
I really enjoyed "Like Mother Used to Make," it almost reminded me of Naughts and Crosses but about misogyny. Maybe men would stop treating women like trash if they had to see what life would be like with the roles reversed. I'd love to see this one turned into a short film, if it hasn't been done already.
Generally speaking I do enjoy stories about how men suck, so I am pleased with this one for that reason. Since beginning to write this review I've waffled between a 2-star rating, up to a three, then a generous leap to 4 stars, and am now comfortably settled back down at 3 stars. I gave myself vertigo from all that jumping around, gotta go lie down with We Have Always Lived in the Castle now
"Flower Garden" made me feel uneasy. I can't tell if Jackson slipped her own racist ideologies into that story, or if she just used a racist white main character to criticize said character's hypocrisy, superficiality, and cowardly conformation to a small town's judgments. I'm choosing to believe the latter.
I really enjoyed "Like Mother Used to Make," it almost reminded me of Naughts and Crosses but about misogyny. Maybe men would stop treating women like trash if they had to see what life would be like with the roles reversed. I'd love to see this one turned into a short film, if it hasn't been done already.
Generally speaking I do enjoy stories about how men suck, so I am pleased with this one for that reason. Since beginning to write this review I've waffled between a 2-star rating, up to a three, then a generous leap to 4 stars, and am now comfortably settled back down at 3 stars. I gave myself vertigo from all that jumping around, gotta go lie down with We Have Always Lived in the Castle now
September 17, 2021
A mixed bag of stories. This Audible could have been produced better, there are abrupt transitions between stories. Glad it was free.
The Lottery, 5 stars. There is a reason this is a classic.
The Flower Garden, 5 stars. Shirley Jackson's poke in the eye to small mindedness and digs at those who have no original thoughts of their own. The garden metaphor is a little heavy, but Jackson's writing is evocative and draws the reader into this small town vignette. Newcomer Mrs. MacLane is the one who is treated badly, but the glimpse into Mrs. Winning's future is the one that is very bleak as mean people are generally miserable people no matter how they try to justify it. While Mrs. Maclane has learned a hard truth, she comes off as someone who will move on and eventually be happy. Jackson was not one to tolerate hypocrisy or racism. Nor was she one to shy away from it.
Come Dance With Me In Ireland, 1 star. I'm not a fan of this story. It is so dated it is distracting. Also it feels very heavy handed.
An old man shows up selling shoestrings. Three women have different reactions to him.
Men with Their Big Shoes, 3 stars. A masterfully told uncomfortable story of a manipulative cleaning woman and an easily manipulated young housewife.
The Lottery, 5 stars. There is a reason this is a classic.
The Flower Garden, 5 stars. Shirley Jackson's poke in the eye to small mindedness and digs at those who have no original thoughts of their own. The garden metaphor is a little heavy, but Jackson's writing is evocative and draws the reader into this small town vignette. Newcomer Mrs. MacLane is the one who is treated badly, but the glimpse into Mrs. Winning's future is the one that is very bleak as mean people are generally miserable people no matter how they try to justify it. While Mrs. Maclane has learned a hard truth, she comes off as someone who will move on and eventually be happy. Jackson was not one to tolerate hypocrisy or racism. Nor was she one to shy away from it.
Come Dance With Me In Ireland, 1 star. I'm not a fan of this story. It is so dated it is distracting. Also it feels very heavy handed.
An old man shows up selling shoestrings. Three women have different reactions to him.
Men with Their Big Shoes, 3 stars. A masterfully told uncomfortable story of a manipulative cleaning woman and an easily manipulated young housewife.
January 17, 2026
This book is a collection of short stories by Shirley Jackson.
The stories are:
• "The Lottery"
• "Flower Garden"
• "Come Dance with Me in Ireland"
• "Men with Their Big Shoes"
• "Trial by Combat"
• "Pillar of Salt"
• "Like Mother Used to Make"
• "Colloquy"
The best story by far is "The Lottery" for which the author the best known along with her novel The Haunting of Hill House. "The Lottery" is the precursor to the reaping in the Hunger Games. I knew the premise from cultural osmosis, but I had never read the actual story.
One thing that struck me about the stories is how 1950s the stories were. Obedience to authority and rigid adherence to the code of social politeness cripple the characters, rending them unable to say "no” and unable to be straight forward and honest with others, which cause them to be swept along with the momentum created by stronger willed people to their detriment.
4 stars for "The Lottery." 2 stars for all the other stories.
The stories are:
• "The Lottery"
• "Flower Garden"
• "Come Dance with Me in Ireland"
• "Men with Their Big Shoes"
• "Trial by Combat"
• "Pillar of Salt"
• "Like Mother Used to Make"
• "Colloquy"
The best story by far is "The Lottery" for which the author the best known along with her novel The Haunting of Hill House. "The Lottery" is the precursor to the reaping in the Hunger Games. I knew the premise from cultural osmosis, but I had never read the actual story.
One thing that struck me about the stories is how 1950s the stories were. Obedience to authority and rigid adherence to the code of social politeness cripple the characters, rending them unable to say "no” and unable to be straight forward and honest with others, which cause them to be swept along with the momentum created by stronger willed people to their detriment.
4 stars for "The Lottery." 2 stars for all the other stories.
October 21, 2024
I've had Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" on my to-read list for a very long time. I nearly purchased this collection of short stories in a bookshop a few weekends ago, but decided instead to listen to it on Libby. I'm glad I didn't purchase it, because I really did not like this.
The first story, The Lottery, was short, but good - everything else after was terrible. I forced myself to finish listening, because the entire collection is only three hours, but it felt like much longer. The narrator was great, but I couldn't figure the plot or purpose of any of the other stories. It was just listless dialogue and narration of a character's every mundane move.
Years ago I tried We Have Always Lived in the Castle and also didn't love it. I thought it was me, but my husband just finished listening to The Haunting of Hill House (we both enjoyed the TV series) and he had the same complaints as me. I think I'm just not a Shirley Jackson fan.
The first story, The Lottery, was short, but good - everything else after was terrible. I forced myself to finish listening, because the entire collection is only three hours, but it felt like much longer. The narrator was great, but I couldn't figure the plot or purpose of any of the other stories. It was just listless dialogue and narration of a character's every mundane move.
Years ago I tried We Have Always Lived in the Castle and also didn't love it. I thought it was me, but my husband just finished listening to The Haunting of Hill House (we both enjoyed the TV series) and he had the same complaints as me. I think I'm just not a Shirley Jackson fan.
October 2, 2019
'The Lottery' was the main reason I picked up this book, but I was happily surprised by the other seven short stories. All of the stories center around the strains of conforming to social norms and the susceptibility of individuals to dangerous views and practices. Shirley Jackson uses irony especially to unpack the expectations of society and how they define individuals' choices. It's thought-provoking material that makes me want to read her other works since these ideas are major themes in most of her writings.
Included in this work:The Lottery, Flower Garden, Come Dance With Me In Ireland, Men with Their Big Shoes, Trial by Conflict, Pillar of Salt, Like Mother Use to Make, and Colloquy
Included in this work:The Lottery, Flower Garden, Come Dance With Me In Ireland, Men with Their Big Shoes, Trial by Conflict, Pillar of Salt, Like Mother Use to Make, and Colloquy
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