Not long ago, I realized that "The Lottery" and The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson's best-known tales, were gaping holes in my reading history. So I set out to rectify the situation. In both, Jackson's distinctive style — atmospheric, haunting, something's not quite right, but hey, there's something almost humorous going on here — shines through, especially in the short story collection, which allowed her a wide range of subjects upon which to muse. I particularly enjoyed the titular story and "Charles," a humorous bit about a troublemaking child that was both very realistic and made me realize I'd read one of Jackson's other humorous short stories when I was a kid ("Life Among the Savages"). With Hill House, the classic haunted house book felt almost cliché to a reader in 2023 — until you realize that all of these "cliche" things originated in the 1959 book. Jackson's skill with creating unsettling atmospheres and unreliable narrators is unparalleled, and I'm so glad that I finally read these books.
*This is the collection out of which I read these two books. Also highly recommend We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which I read a few years back.
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