Rating: 
Summary: Read it for the other stories.
Review: 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 horrendous dramatization that I'm sure some of you are familiar with. I wholeheartedly agree that it is very intriguing the first time around, what with the suspense and all, but it is simply not interesting enough to hold up to further scrutinization, nor is it as simple and affecting as the other stories in this volume, and I find it hard to enjoy the second and third time around. However, the 'and other stories' is what really makes this collection. They're truly the mirrors into the soul that 'The Lottery' has so long been praised as being. Single snapshots of tiny situations and individuals become stunningly beautiful snippets of prose. My personal favorite story in the collection, as well as in most collections, is 'The Witch', yet again a perfect glimpse into the passing lives of the individuals you see every day.
Rating:
Summary: 'The Lottery' is the worthy centerpiece
Review: The disturbing eeriness of the short story 'The Lottery' has stuck with me since my days of junior high school. Having never been exposed to any of Jackson's other work, I recently picked up _The Lottery and Other Short Stories_ hoping to find more morsels that equalled "The Lottery"s power. Did I find them? Nope - but I didn't find disappointment, either. Jackson's short stories display a variety of themes, from thought-provoking political commentary to childlike whimsicality (and all points in-between). Likewise, some stories are well-developed, while others seem like little more than the skeleton jottings of an author's thoughts. When it's all said and done the stories provide worthwhile reading, but some are far more satisfying than others. "The Lottery" stands head and shoulders above the rest as the jewelled crownpiece; save it for last. It will stick with you like few stories you'll ever be priveleged to read.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbingly Enticing
Review: 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 proceeds to a thorough description of a stack of stones that the children prepare. All of the people in the town gather in this open area and wait for the lottery to commence. Then the story proceeds to detail the fact that things are being forgotten as time passes but the people still hold on viciously to their old traditions, even keeping the old black lottery box though it is worn down and hardly good for use. The reader is introduced to only one person and that is Mrs. Hutchinson who arrived late to the lottery and that though she tries to laugh off their present situation, even the laughter her friends and she emit is quiet. The tension mounts as the head of each household must go up and pick from the black box, everyone nervous. From the very beginning the reader feels the strangeness of this book and the suspense about what this lottery really is until the very end. The gravity of the situation that Mrs. Hutchinson, Tessie, as she is called, is in by choosing the slip of paper with the black spot on it is only realized by Tessie's intejections of "It's not fair." When the people of the town all pick up the stones and stone Tessie, they do so with the most casuality, even stopping to choose the perfect stones to throw. This story, to be understood fully, must be read at least twice for the second time, the subtle hints of the coming event becomes quite clear: the children stacking the stones and choosing the smoothest ones, the small population, the nervousness of the crowd. This demented tradition of stoning a single person of the town is done in order to ensure a good harvest in the coming summer and that person is the sacrifice. Jackson excellently portrays the downside of traditions in this short story as well as the accepting nature of human beings to what has always been done. This short story was not enjoyable, but a very interesting read and I would recommend it to anyone who has the capability to stomach meaning in its entirety.
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