The Lottery

The Lottery

3.5 (24 ratings)
2018 · English · Paperback · 85 editions
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Description

"The Lottery" was originally published in the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. Although it has gained a well-earned reputation as a classic and become one of the most famous short stories in the history of American literature, it initially received a negative response, which surprised both Shirley Jackson and The New Yorker. After its appearance, readers cancelled subscriptions and sent hate mail throughout the summer. The Union of South Africa even banned the story.

This chilling tale of a lottery in a small town which ends in death remains a powerful piece of literature, however, and is a true classic in every sense of the word.

Book Details

Format Paperback
Pages 18 pages
Language English
Published Aug 16, 2018
Publisher Wildside Press
Editions 85 editions
ISBN-10 1479419583
ISBN-13 9781479419586

Reviews

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Raccolta di racconti a cui io non ho trovato un senso, o meglio io non li ho capiti

October 15th 2026
Pacing: fast-paced Focus: character-driven

I think I was expecting these stories to read more like The Lottery, which I read in school and quite enjoyed.Unfortunately, they didn't, or at least not in the same way I had hoped. They shared a rather gloomy outlook on life with The Lottery, certainly, but that was kind of the defining factor. I didn't see the sparkle I had felt a touch of in The Lottery and seen quite a bit of in the only novel of hers I have read, The Haunting of Hill House. These plodded a bit, and I always felt like I knew what the ending was going to be, even if I didn't know the specifics: it would be depressing.Most of the stories are significantly less speculative fiction than the previous things of hers I have read, which I found disappointing. The woman can write, certainly, but I was not enjoying most of what I was reading, despite that.There is a particular kind of depressing story I associate with American writers. It is not really dark, it doesn't have villains, it's a kind of "life sucks and then you die" mentality that I felt overloaded by when actually taking an American Literature class, and this book brought me back to that, back to reading Ethan Frome and wondering why we couldn't do British Literature instead.Most of these stories, well-written or not, were not at all my cup of tea, and I think I will stick with her horror exclusively from now on. If you enjoy the type of depressing I'm talking about or just want to see what else she wrote and are not interested in more traditional horror, this might be right up your alley.

June 2nd 2026

My first reaction after finishing this short story was like this :"seriously,seriously,what the hell is going on,I must have got it wrong,".Then,I read the last paragraphs again,oh no no,it is so brutal,the story began really nicely,I didn't see this ending comingAlthough this story is well written,I don't like it a bit,I don't think anyone does! I'm still in shock! what was the reason behind this lottery??????

February 27th 2026
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