Scan barcode
A review by raxorrr
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
3.0
3.25 stars
finally got around to finishing this. the collection had some gems that stood out, however, reading stories back to back made it feel a bit repetitive with the common themes, characters and motifs. perhaps the stories were meant to be enjoyed individually over time. Shirley Jackson is often lauded for her brilliant subtlety of conveying horror and discomfort, and many fans use this trait to defend her when one labels her work as mundane. ironically, her most renowned and beloved stories are those that deviate from said style, veering more towards the grotesque or supernatural i.e. The Lottery and The Demon Lover. it's a shame she didn't write more short stories of similar nature since she clearly excelled at it. some of her stories are so subtle that they conclude before any significant event transpires. those stories just end up feeling eventless and dull. her works primarily delve into the psychology and psychosis of female protagonists. this topic is present in both her long and short stories which affects the stories' developments. the shorter tales suffer from underdevelopment, while the longer ones usually linger too long on certain aspects, often to the point where I wish for them to conclude sooner. this extension of the narrative sometimes dilutes the room for interpretation or renders the story tedious and less engaging.
some of my personal favorites were:
• The Daemon Lover
• The Witch
• Seven Types of Ambiguity
• Men With Their Big Shoes
• The Lottery
finally got around to finishing this. the collection had some gems that stood out, however, reading stories back to back made it feel a bit repetitive with the common themes, characters and motifs. perhaps the stories were meant to be enjoyed individually over time. Shirley Jackson is often lauded for her brilliant subtlety of conveying horror and discomfort, and many fans use this trait to defend her when one labels her work as mundane. ironically, her most renowned and beloved stories are those that deviate from said style, veering more towards the grotesque or supernatural i.e. The Lottery and The Demon Lover. it's a shame she didn't write more short stories of similar nature since she clearly excelled at it. some of her stories are so subtle that they conclude before any significant event transpires. those stories just end up feeling eventless and dull. her works primarily delve into the psychology and psychosis of female protagonists. this topic is present in both her long and short stories which affects the stories' developments. the shorter tales suffer from underdevelopment, while the longer ones usually linger too long on certain aspects, often to the point where I wish for them to conclude sooner. this extension of the narrative sometimes dilutes the room for interpretation or renders the story tedious and less engaging.
some of my personal favorites were:
• The Daemon Lover
• The Witch
• Seven Types of Ambiguity
• Men With Their Big Shoes
• The Lottery