Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

Get it for less! Order it used
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Lottery
  

Lottery (School & Library Binding)

by Shirley Jackson (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)

Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Penguin Classics Haunting Of Hill House

Penguin Classics Haunting Of Hill House

by Laura Miller
4.1 out of 5 stars (264)  CDN$ 12.05
Deluxe Classics We Have Always Lived In The Castle

Deluxe Classics We Have Always Lived In The Castle

by Jonathan Lethem
4.4 out of 5 stars (67)  CDN$ 12.05
The Most Dangerous Game - DVD

The Most Dangerous Game - DVD

DVD ~ Irving Pichel
4.3 out of 5 stars (33)  CDN$ 9.49
The Lottery

The Lottery

DVD ~ Daniel Sackheim
Lord Of The Flies

Lord Of The Flies

by William Golding
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  CDN$ 10.79
Explore similar items

Product Details


Product Description

Product Description

A haunting and powerful collection of stories from one of America's finest writers, with a new Introduction by Patrick McGrath.
         Eerie, unforgettable, and by turns terrifying and hilarious, Shirley Jackson's collection of stories plunges us into a unique, brilliantly etched world where the uncanny lurks in the everyday and where nothing is quite what it seems. In "The Lottery," Jackson's most famous work and one of the greatest--and scariest--stories of the twentieth century, a small town gathers for an annual ritual that culminates in a terrible event. In "The Daemon Lover," a woman waits, then searches, for the man she is to marry that day, only to find that he has disappeared as completely as if he had never existed. In "Trial by Combat," a shy woman confronts her kleptomaniac neighbor, and in "Pillar of Salt," a tourist in New York is gradually paralyzed by a city grown nightmarish. Throughout these twenty-five tales, we move through a variety of emotional landscapes full of loneliness and humor, oddity and cruelty, banality and terror, and searing psychological insight. No reader will come away unaffected.
         The only collection to appear during Jackson's lifetime, The Lottery and Other Stories reveals the full breadth and power of this truly original writer. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Ingram

"The Lottery" is one of the most anthologized short stories. Also includes "The Witch," "Charles," and "My Life with R.H. Macy." --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?


 

Customer Reviews

59 Reviews
5 star:
 (43)
4 star:
 (12)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (59 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating snapshots of life, Jul 14 2006
By Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Lottery, The (Paperback)
Many people are familiar with the story "The Lottery," but it is just one of many incredible vignettes of life filling this collection. It is hard to understand today why "The Lottery" originally provoked such a strong reaction, yet it still packs a punch for first-time readers. While it does have aspects of horror, the remaining stories are basically literary. "Flower Garden" and "After You, My Dear Alphonse" deal with racism and would seem to be pretty bold statements for the time period (the book was published in 1948); the latter story seems particularly groundbreaking because of the unusual perspective it provides. "Charles" is a humorous yet illuminating look at the behavior of children, while "Afternoon in Linen" is an important statement on why children sometimes behave as they do. Jackson is at her best when describing the disenchanted adult. The helplessness of women is an important theme in many stories; many of the women described here feel helpless and subservient to their husbands, their neighbors, and their community. "Elizabeth" is a fairly long study of how one woman's wishes and dreams remain unfulfilled in later life. The housewife in "Got a Letter From Jimmy" is thoroughly exasperated by her husband's feelings, and since she cannot speak her mind to him, she is forced to fantasize about killing him. In "The Villager" a woman spontaneously chooses to become someone else entirely for a few minutes, and most of Jackson's heroines spend much time contemplating what could have been. In "Of Course," the fact that a new family has a few unorthodox views builds an unbreachable wall between brand-new neighbors. The women in these stories are always wondering what other people think about them and worrying about what others will say about them. Even when a group of women try to do something good to help the less fortunate, it backfires on them in "Come Dance With Me in Ireland." When a female character vacations with her husband in New York in "Pillar of Salt," she soon becomes "lost," afraid, and desperate to return home. "Colloquy" is the shortest story in the collection, but its protagonist speaks for most of Jackson's female characters when she asks whether she alone or the whole world has gone insane.

My favorite story here is "The Daemon Lover." Herein, Jackson offers one of the most poignant, touching looks at loneliness, desperation, and fragility I have ever read. In the story, we spend a day with the protagonist as she prepares for her wedding, having become engaged just the night before to a James Harris. It is a depressing yet beautiful story, and I actually rate it higher than "The Lottery." The character of James Harris actually flitters throughout several of these stories, a phantom of sorts haunting several of Jackson's more memorable female characters.

Jackson deals with very serious subjects, and the illumination provided by her unusual perspectives on life is vivid and poignant. When addressing racism, she shows how even an individual with the best of intentions and good will can still represent an unfortunate racist attitude. In speaking to morality and social values, she shows how hard it can be for an individual to go against tradition and the community to do what is right. She offers powerful insights on child (and adult) psychology. Even the couple of stories I did not really "get" offered insight into the living of life. Readers should not expect a book of horror stories when they pick up this book. The stories can be maudlin and even depressing, but they are philosophical, psychological, and sociological rather than creepy or spooky.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars makes an impression, Jun 10 2004
"The Lottery" by Shirly Jackson certainly makes a strong impression. It is a distubing tale of the dark side of human nature. I guarantee that once read, this story is not forgotten. I wouldn't recommend it for young children, but definately for more mature readers. It is a must read.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best short story collections ever, May 9 2004
By Tina Mccrann (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
After being blown away by The Lottery years ago I purchased this book to try some of Ms Jackson's other stories and it was well worth the purchase. Well-written, excellent characterizations, and a style all her own I look forward to reading more of the works of this talented and unforgettable author.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbingly Enticing
This story by Shirley Jackson is, as in the title of my review, disturbing yet enticing. It begins with a description of the perfection of this summer day in this small town, and... Read more
Published on May 31 2004 by chicaconchattitude

4.0 out of 5 stars Read it for the other stories.
Right, sure, The Lottery, classic, whatever. I'm really not a big fan of the title story in this volume, quite likely because my first exposure to it was through an absolutely... Read more
Published on May 4 2004 by Nick M.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable Short Story
I first read this short story in highschool and to this day, I still remember it vividly, especially "It isn`t fair, it isn`t right,". Read more
Published on Feb 20 2004 by A. Vegan

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, funny, creepy
I never read the short story "the Lottery" in school or anything, but had it recommended to me by my mum after she heard I loved Ira Levin's "the Stepford Wives". Read more
Published on Jan 18 2004 by sara

3.0 out of 5 stars Lottery - 5 stars, Remainder - 3 stars
I purchased this book on the fact that the Lottery is a great story and extremely eerie. Another reason for purchasing this was the overall high rating for this book by everyone... Read more
Published on Jan 10 2004 by Mark S. Winger

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary
I bought this book as a substitute, Waldenbooks had neither of the books I went there looking for. But on a tip to "check out the literature section for something" I came across... Read more
Published on Mar 30 2003 by A. Kruel

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Expect to Make Sense from This
The stories are chilling and rememberable. However, many of the stories seemed to have no point. "Art for art's sake alone" perhaps, but I felt somewhat empty after... Read more
Published on Feb 7 2003 by SassyOphelia

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have collection
I first picked up this volume because, shocking as it may seem, I'd never actually read Shirley Jackson's landmark story "The Lottery. Read more
Published on Jan 31 2003 by epitone

4.0 out of 5 stars 'The Lottery' is the worthy centerpiece
The disturbing eeriness of the short story 'The Lottery' has stuck with me since my days of junior high school. Read more
Published on Aug 2 2002 by C. Duncan

5.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as freaky
Its not quite as freaky as i like, but excellent in the effect of anticipation.not something for little siblings to read or hear.
Published on Jul 11 2002 by C. Flowe

Only search this product's reviews



Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.